


Hera

by Octarine



Series: Olympus [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, F/M, Fluff, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Greek and Roman Mythology - Freeform, Inner Struggles, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Post-Sburb/Sgrub
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-05
Updated: 2012-10-20
Packaged: 2017-11-15 17:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 34,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Octarine/pseuds/Octarine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He knows from experience that you probably wont take it.</p><p>He knows how you are.</p><p>But you’re tired and lost and for once you don’t just need John, you need him to lead you. So you take his hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm... just going to leave this here and crawl back into the dark recesses of the man-cave from whence I came, quietly asking myself, "What are you doing with your life?" But, really, I'm kind of nervous about posting this because, wow, strange and it's... I don't even know what to tell you. I was going to post the entire thing and then I was like nope. So... that's my story. I hope this isn't majorly out of character with it's few majorly weird pairings. I'm going to stop now. Gosh.

You were very wrong about John Egbert.

It’s a fact that you’ll never admit. You have a hard enough time admitting it to yourself. Besides, no one needs to know that you were ever wrong, that you ever made a mistake, that things ever went the wrong way. Not with Noir and not now with John. You need them to continue thinking that it all was a part of your plan, even if that also means being thought of as a psychopath. It’s thanks to your luck that all of those mistakes worked out the way they did anyways. Making one pawn a monster and the other a hero, it wasn’t exactly how you thought it would go, but it all turned out okay.

What definitely was not a part of your so-called “plan” was making that hero someone who actually mattered at the same time. And it scares you. Especially because you aren’t sure just how much he matters, not only to the others and the wellbeing of this new universe but to yourself as well. Your fellow immortals don’t need to know any of this, they would think of you differently, you would be seen as weak.

Thankfully, most of them seem to buy that you’re a psychopath. It’s better than being seen as a weakling by far.

John was supposed to be like Tavros. He was supposed to be inadequate, unworthy of the title of God, and most importantly, to be uncertain about every move he made, to rely on you for guidance. John was supposed to be a follower but despite how easily he gives into orders he turned out to be a leader. You weren’t prepared for that, you weren’t prepared to be wrong again.

But you had gone into the situation blind. No pun intended. You knew nothing of the humans and didn’t care to learn, you simply wanted to beat Terezi. Helping someone rise to your rank, no, surpass you, was never your intention.

You’re a liar, a manipulator, a thief. You don’t have a leader, you don’t need a leader, you are your own leader. You know what to do, what moves to make, and if something goes wrong you have your luck to back you up. Does that not make it so you’re never wrong? All of your mistakes work out. They always take you where you want to go. Does that mean that they aren’t mistakes at all? You don’t need someone to tell you what to do, to help you, to guide you. You don’t need a leader; you certainly never needed Karkat. You work alone unless making deals and even then your partners tend to end up with a knife in the back.

If your deal with Eridan hadn’t been working out so well you’re sure you would have found a way to trick him out of something, just like Equius. You should have seen _his_ betrayal coming. But, unlike Equius, Eridan wouldn’t have ever guessed you would try anything, he wouldn’t have been prepared with his own trick up his sleeve.

John was just supposed to be another pawn in your games, another test of power. You’re sure Terezi felt the same about Strider. Neither boy was supposed to mean anything, they weren’t supposed to become your friends and they weren’t supposed to become a part of your session. They were just two stupid aliens with odd skin and hair who had ruined all of your lives. But over time you realized that, despite all of his weaknesses, John is strong. Still easily manipulated of course, but strong. Not only did you start to like John you even started to pity him. His race is so fragile, so soft and harmless, how did they ever survive? It seems through will alone. John’s silly and clueless; you actually like that about him. But he’s determined to win and that’s something you respect.

He’s not the bravest; he’s an idiot, it’s not exactly bravery, mostly stupidity. He went through the entire game blindly. Only his luck, creativity, and your guidance got him out alive. Sometimes he really reminds you of yourself, it makes you proud. But he’s still the only one respected as a true hero. Despite Rose and Dave and their sacrifice, Karkat calming the beast that killed two innocents, Jade and Kanaya creating you all a new universe, Sollux fueling the meteor, Aradia caring for the dead, John is still the one seen as the hero.

You suppose that makes you the true villain.

Really, saving you all was a group effort, but John’s the one who had thought of it. Crazy boy. It’s not surprising, what, with all of his wild creations that he’s made with his alchemiter. Karkat also played an important role as the other ectobiologist of your conjoined group and the hero of blood along with Dave and his manipulations of time. But, when it comes down to it, John’s the one who breathed life back into those of you who had died for good. Feferi first and then she was able to aid them with her own powers.

Now that you’re thinking about it you can’t help but scowl. You know how the whole breathing the spirit into people works. Just like kissing them to wake them in their other body. John had to press his mouth to Feferi’s and breathe out. A kiss.

You try, and fail, not to be jealous.

So John is the hero. He’s silly and clueless but you think it helps him come up with all sorts of crazy ideas, just like the one that brought you back from the dead, so it’s okay. He’s not determined to win, you think, but to get everyone out alive. And he did.

You find yourself wondering if he would have been able to do it without you though. If he would have been able to face death had you not meddled, if he would have accepted it like you had. Him, stabbed right in the stomach by the beast you created; you, beaten to a pulp by the heartless creature you helped resurrect.

Are you truly responsible for everything he is today or would he have been better off without you?

The one thing that seems to haunt you the most, though, is the question of just how different the two heroes of breath are. Maybe the better question would be just how similar they are. Would John have been brave enough, no, pitied you enough, to have put you out of your misery? Or would he have fallen short, just like the other?

You’re a liar, a manipulator, a thief. Everything you’ve created has hurt you, not like John, his inventions are always beneficial. Yours have all been harmful, bad, or wrong, even if it was necessary for your “plan”. So how did you manage to shape this boy into what he is today? How did something finally turn out right? How did this boy become a hero?

Perhaps you give yourself too much credit. You would still like to think it’s your luck, though.

John is a hero, he’s pure, humble, sweet, caring. He is weak. But he is determined, he does things his own way while still listening to others, he was the first to reach God Tier, with your help of course but still the first. He is powerful.

John believes men should be strong, that they should be brave, good at heart, their actions fueled by love. Going by his beliefs you would say he’s a true man. He believes women deserve to be treated like they’re royal, delicate, special, they should be loving and pure and all of the things that you aren’t.

John is helpful, good, and honorable. He succeeds in bringing smiles to the faces of those around you simply by smiling himself. Your creation continues to be respected as leader long after everything has ended. You all are at peace; you all may rest in this perfect world reserved for the gods, those who have fought their way through the game, even those who had died like yourself. There is no need for a leader here and he never asked for the position, you doubt he even wants it, but he still has it.

Even Karkat, stubborn Karkat who backs down for no one, has given up the title he fought so hard to get so John may have it. Feferi, your would-be-ruler, had no qualms about it. Eridan accepts your new leader begrudgingly. John has earned Equius’ respect and thus Nepeta’s as well. Tavros would never stand up against such a thing and he doesn’t have any issues with his fellow hero anyway.  Kanaya seems a bit wary of the boy, still not convinced that the little human who runs around playing pranks can truly be a leader. Aradia is happy with everything, Sollux simply does not care, and drugs once again pacify Gamzee. Terezi is the only one obviously unhappy with him, she wants Strider to be the one respected as leader but suggestions of such a thing seem to make Dave uncomfortable. All of the humans are perfectly fine with John as the designated leader.

You don’t need a leader; you’ve never needed a leader. You didn’t need one before the games and you didn’t need one during them. You don’t need John as a leader, you don’t, but you do need John.

Everything you create hurts you. John may be good but he still manages to cause you pain. You actually care about him, you actually care about what he thinks of you, and you want him to care about you the same way. He’s made you feel weak. He’s made you feel a lot of confusing things. But he’s also made you feel safe, special, and loved without even trying.

You’re greedy with his attention. You hog it all when you can, dragging him off to watch movies or to play pranks. You’ll curl up together in his bed or on your couch, watching movies all night and sometimes all day. Any old movie tends to be put on repeat until one of you finally drifts off. Not Con Air, for whatever reason he doesn’t like it anymore, which is a bit disappointing. And, of course, you’ll leave whoopee cushions around, glue coins to the floor, sneak into Strider’s room and slip his fingers into a warm glass of water, or, when he’s in the shower, John will sneak into the bathroom to steal his clothes and his shades. None of it seems to faze Dave. He just walks out of the bathroom in a towel and his spare pair of shades he’s learned to hide so he can show off in front of Terezi and Jade. They only giggle, or, in Terezi’s case, cackle, while Karkat whines and complains and pretends to gag and Davesprite decides to join in. His other self always seems to prompt him to be less mature.

You’re surprised that Dave’s actually pretty okay when not spewing pointless words with no meaning. This is yet another small detail that you have a hard time admitting. And when John asked you were torn between making a snarky remark and telling the truth. Dave seemed to be having the same issue.

You don’t blame him; you apparently aren’t an easy person to like let alone love.

At this point no one even notices all of the coins on the kitchen floor and always check their chairs. You guys have to get some new material or this whole living forever thing will start to get boring.

The land you now call home, and will for the rest of eternity, is more human than troll. It’s fertile and bright, far too bright to be considered comfortable for your kind, and filled to the brim with animals and plants only familiar to the four humans. Strider, in one of your few conversations, told you that this was not the normal home of any “modern day human”, whatever that means. He called the entire thing “ironic” but he’s full of crap and loves to lie for fun so you didn’t take in much more of the conversation. His golden version, you find, is much more bearable and gets to the point.

“The early humans worshipped people who were supposed to live like this,” he had told you, after his other self had departed with Terezi on his arm, of course. You had slowly dragged your gaze from the two figures, one cackling and the other smirking, you’re sure, to look at him instead. He gets this look on his face whenever Terezi is around and he becomes quiet, quieter than he already is, which is saying something because he hardly ever speaks. He’s the only one who’s truly ironic, a thing you have told him on occasion with a wry smile and earned an empty laugh in return.

He’s not like his other self, the one who acts like he’s invincible and the coolest thing to grace any universe. He’s not constantly speaking in rhymes and references; no, when he actually speaks it’s calm and with purpose and every once in a while John or Jade can actually get him to crack a smile or laugh. He tries to stay away from both himself and your kind and it always made you think he was just another jerk. But with you always by John’s side your paths had crossed eventually and you realized that he’s not like that at all. He was cold to you but when he spoke to John it was less rude and cocky, he’s actually a better friend to your hero than the other Dave. But John doesn’t seem to realize it. Still holding a grudge for something that happened in the past, from what you understand.

You didn’t get along at first but you warmed up to each other. You think it was after you both realized the other meant no harm to John. Somehow you have turned into someone Davesprite trusts, the only troll you note. He’s usually with Jade but when she’s with Nepeta or, gods forbid, Terezi he’ll go to Rose, but she’s often with Kanaya so then there’s John, and when John is with Dave he’ll finally turn to you. It’s a silent agreement to stick to insulting each other at first, at least when everyone else is around, but they’re all halfhearted and just as empty as much of what the other Dave says.

You found yourself with a pale crush but you thought that asking such a thing of him would make him stop speaking to you altogether. The humans don’t understand your romance and you believe befriending you at all is a confusing subject to Davesprite. You didn’t quite understand why until Rose dragged you aside. Then you finally found out about how Terezi was the one who had ruined his timeline, the one who lead to the death of the one he loves the most.

That’s something the two of you have in common.

Then Ms. Lalonde proceeded to threaten to rip you apart in the most inhumane way possible, saving your brain for her studies and the rest of your remains as food for her pets, the evil gods who no longer exist. You were snarky and rude about it, giving her a taste of her own medicine, that is, until you realized she was serious. It seems you’ve stolen her Moirail like she stole yours. So you promised her you wouldn’t do anything to hurt him, making the entire thing feel like you were trading Kanaya for him and in result you were absolutely giddy.

“Do you feel very godly?” You ask Davesprite finally and you get the answer you were expecting, a small, jerky, shake of his head before he leaves; gliding away and slowly blending in with the rest of the gold that surrounds you.

Your people never had gods, well, besides Gamzee’s little cult. You had the Condesce and you certainly never felt the need to worship her. She’s just another leader you never needed, like Marquise Spinneret Mindfang, your Queen was of no use to either of you. You didn’t need any law let alone anything resembling order. But that’s not the point; the point is that she didn’t live in a place like this at all. She lived in a ship, sleek, sharp, and the color of human blood.

A ship you can understand but these buildings are different. Just like this new world they’re all too bright and you complain about them constantly, but at least you aren’t alone. Sollux and Eridan both seem to agree with you; actually, it’s one of the few things they can agree on themselves. Besides Feferi, of course, but sadly their mutual romantic interest’s love of your new home has led them to shut up. And then Eridan realized just how much gold and riches he’s surrounded by and you think he genuinely likes it. It doesn’t come as a surprise and you think that at one point in time it would have made you ecstatic as well. But there is no use for gold here.

The world seems never ending but after you reach a certain point you cannot go any farther. It’s strange though because the perimeter of your world seems to change every day as well as the night sky. The nineteen buildings you each call home are almost always accessible, sometimes they are cut off, though, as well as the main building and the golden ship that has now been abandoned, left for the animals and plants to take over.

All of the buildings are a crisp white, the same color as the delicate shells of the eggs John uses when he cooks with his Nanna. They really are similar, both white and strange looking outside and their insides filled with thick golden riches. Once upon a time you would have hoarded it away, kept it like your ancestor would have, but now, as you said before, it is of no use to you. Unlike the eggs.

Eggs are fantastic, you’ll sneak up on John so you can steal them right out of his hands, making him squawk indignantly, then break the delicate shell easily with your sharp nails and suck out all of the insides. You love eggs. John thinks it’s nasty but he only laughs and throws you another instead of objecting.

You’ve told Davesprite your comparison of the buildings to eggs and he snorted in response. “Guess it’s fitting for me to live in one, right?” He had asked, voice dead and flat like always but underneath pulsed a vein of contempt that could easily be missed. It comes to life whenever the subject of him being what he is now somehow comes up but it’s even more noticeable when the subject of him being “the Other Dave” is.

“Ironic,” is all you said, waiting to see if he would grow angry or simply play along and forget about it.

“On all of the levels.”

“Aaaaaaaall of them.” You added with a broad grin before lazily swinging your arm over to give him a fist bump.

You guess the buildings are pretty, though. High ceilings carved with images of your past battles, all gold and pearl and ivory. The walls are golden, too, and covered in complex patterns of a velvety material as well as sheer curtains that drape this way and that. Your people were never ones to worry about looks but this is nice, you must admit. The buildings still make you feel kind of claustrophobic when you think about it too much. The image of your failure always hanging over your head, the bright colors, the suffocating fabric, the fact that you really could be inside of an egg; it makes you uncomfortable.

John doesn’t mind all of the sparkling gold and when asked why he just shrugs and says living in the ship for three years got him used to it. You tell him you don’t know how he lived but he only laughs at you. Because you both know you’ll have to make it through more than just three years.

The land is always warm, something that your kind welcomes but annoys both the humans and the low bloods. The compromise is John bringing in a cool breeze. At this point it’s a constant thing, he doesn’t even have to think about it.

Your nineteen homes are all spread out so you at least get a little bit of privacy. But privacy isn’t something any of you are used to at this point so you find that you all tend to stick to the twentieth building despite all of your newfound space. It seems to have become the center of your universe.

Your group has been stranded on an island but you can see land out in the distance. That’s where Rose has suggested all of their consorts have ended up. The only problem is that you aren’t allowed to go that far. This new world isn’t like Alternia, it’s nothing like what the humans are used to either, besides Jade at least. But she’s explained that her island was nothing like this. Her island was a jungle and this is no jungle, not to mention the size difference.

The island is large and covered with all sorts of different plants and features. There are mountains, they aren’t very tall, more like hills honestly, but covered in forests. There are short, knotted, trees as well as tall, slender, ones and, your favorite, these thick trunked, gnarled, monsters with small leaves and branches laden with little fruits John calls “olives.” They’re nothing like Alternian olive trees and you decide that you like these better. Especially when told that their yield is not poisonous like your kind.

Your house, or hive as the others continue to call them, is out by the water like it was before. It’s not as big though, which is good because the bigger it is the lonelier it is in your opinion. But now there tends to be someone else there with you, anyways, so it doesn’t really matter. It’s perched on a cliff of white rock that juts out into the water. The area has been flattened out though so the small temple you call home can sit there easily. The grass is thick and a brilliant green, the bushes around your home bloom with tiny purple flowers that smell lovely, and then there are these small trees with large orange fruits that smell even better. You gather them up to spread about your house even though Davesprite makes fun of you for it.

The beaches are white and just as bright as everything else around you but in some areas it’s rocky and uncomfortable to walk on. The water is a brilliant blue like your blood and you love it.

Behind your home, past the beach and the thick line of trees that grow along it, is a field of tall grass and flowers. Like everything else here they are, of course, golden but littered amongst them are bright red blooms and little splatters of white. The best part is all of the twisted trees bearing the little human olive things.

But the new land quickly became old and you were eager to explore more.

You teamed up with John, Eridan, and Davesprite to sail out to the smudge of green in the distance. It didn’t work out how you thought it would, though. The ship that was at the dock when you all first arrived is surprisingly nice even if it isn’t like your old one. It’s some strange combination of styles, sleek, and curving upwards in the front with golden accents and dark wood, but with a crow’s nest and a wheel with beautiful golden swirls painted on it as well. The most disappointing thing about it is that it has no weapons, even if you don’t need any.

Your crew wasn’t exactly stable even though you all were obviously the best people for the job, you a skilled sailor, Eridan a creature of the sea, John the god of air, and Davesprite perfectly capable of climbing up to the “crow’s nest”. John was eager to explore and to find his “daughter”, whom he calls Viceroy, so getting him to join you was easy, all you had to do to get Eridan was hate-flirt a little, and then you just had to enlighten Davesprite to the irony of his job.

He deemed it ironic enough and you all were on your way, after bickering over who was going to actually be behind the wheel of course. You finally gave in with a huff and a roll of your eyes after Davesprite threatened to leave. So Eridan was the captain in the end, freeing you to play with John and Davesprite instead.

The air was salty and fresh, a little different from what you were used to on your planet, but it was still nice. You hadn’t realized just how much you missed sailing, the wind in your hair and the water spraying your face. It brought back memories that you still aren’t sure you want to keep or to get rid of.

John had swept you off your feet while you were wrapped up in your thoughts, pulling you into a little tornado of salty air. You had yelped but the noise quickly turned into a laugh as you grabbed for your hat, the one John made you, and let him spin you about.

He had used his skills with the alchemiter to make this for you, a pirate hat with a blue feather stuck in it. It meant more to you than you let on. And it was perfect for the occasion too of course.

Eridan would huff and complain about John’s silly antics but Davesprite just called out for him to shut up. Your hero shot you a wicked grin, something he’d picked up from you in the past week or so, slowing you down before focusing on sweeping Eridan up into a little tornado too. He was furious, face turning purple, cheeks puffing up, and fins flaring. It was hilarious and you found yourself laughing even harder as you started to become dizzy.

“You look like a puffer fish!” John had giggled when he finally sat both of you down and you had burst out laughing yet again because of the look of pure rage on the other boy’s face.

You were tempted to try and grab the ship’s wheel but changed your mind. Eridan was pouting and still purple in the face, not to mention how bad his accent was. You weren’t sure what he would do if provoked further.

The rest of your short sail was spent pestering Davesprite by purposefully messing up his hair with the wind. He sent you weak glares from behind his shades but the two of you didn’t even try to hide what you were doing.

And then barely and hour into your journey the ship just stopped and no matter how hard John tried it would not go forward. It was as if you had hit a force field. When Davesprite tried to fly over it he couldn’t and when Eridan tried he couldn’t swim under it. So you continued on, sailing in a circle around your little island, bumping into the force field every now and then.

You didn’t succeed in traveling to new lands but it was fun anyways.

Some days there’s an extra person staying in the twentieth building, usually it’s Feferi but sometimes it’s one of the others on the very edge of the island. You’ll try to go home and walk right into the force field. There’s no way around it so the obvious place to return to is the twentieth building, but you usually go to John’s instead.

You like living right on the water like this. Jade, Feferi, and Eridan think it’s fantastic, too, obviously. Feferi’s building is even under water but she usually stays with Sollux instead. You aren’t sure why Eridan’s temple isn’t, but when you ask he snaps at you so you only roll your eyes and remember to avoid the subject unless you purposefully want to piss him off.

This new world isn’t so bad but your actions continue to haunt you. Battle lines have been drawn, it seems. Terezi and you pitted against each other yet again. But you have a feeling you both wish it wouldn’t be this way. You just have a bad habit of arguing over everything but the actual issue. And you don’t know how to change it.

A clawed hand, golden and covered with rough scaly skin, whips out to wave in front of your face. You jolt, eyes quickly focusing the appendage that could belong to no other than Davesprite. “You okay there Serket? You zoned out again.”

You sigh heavily, eyes flicking away and brow twitching with frustration. Meddling Moirails. “I’m fine, just tired.”

He looks concerned, the Strider equivalent, and it makes you annoyed but happy at the same time. Because you know he pities you too, even if he doesn’t realize it. “More nightmares?” He’s not as good as Dave at keeping his emotions from his voice

“Yeah…” You mumble, rubbing at your eyes.

When you’re tired everything seems even brighter and it makes your eyes practically throb in protest. Today’s not going to be a good day.

“Thought the drugs were supposed to keep those away.” He mumbles winding an arm around you and gently guiding you forward. His wing wraps around you too and it makes you feel surprisingly safe. It’s a rare act, something that usually doesn’t happen outside of the safety of one of your homes, but no one is around right now so it’s okay.

Getting to this point was hard. You both refused to show weakness by seeking the other out officially. When one of you wanted to see the other it was excused as boredom. You never would come out and tell the other you wanted to talk or you were there to seek the comfort that their presence brings. You both have a silent understanding that seems to come with Moirallegiance so it was obvious to both of you, though. Gamzee knows he has to act as if he is the weak one in his relationship with Karkat, he must “force” the other into hugs and talks and so on even though everyone knows that Karkat desires it more than him. Nepeta knows that Equius is afraid of his own strength and must assure him that he will not hurt her but not push him to do things beyond a certain point that is only clear to her.

Your relationship with Kanaya wasn’t like this. And even though it’s not even official you think it’s better.

The first time Davesprite fell asleep at your house was an accident. You were surprised but then you remembered that an action like this isn’t that big of a deal to humans, a fact that disappoints you till this day. Trusting another to not kill you in your sleep is a big deal to your kind but sadly the humans don’t look at it the same way. So you let Davesprite sleep, going to the kitchen to get some more popcorn and leaving the TV on. You knew better than to take off his shades or to place a blanket over him, it’s too hot for that. An hour later Davesprite jolted awake with a cry like a wounded animal and you acted on instinct, joining him on the couch and winding your arms around him.

After the flapping of his wings and the terrible screams ceased there was a long moment of silence. You didn’t notice it; you simply continued to run your hand through the mess of feathers at the back of his neck and to press your lips to the side of his head. His shades digging into the side of your neck was growing uncomfortable as well as the way you were sitting, but it still took a moment before it registered that it was over. Your hand stilled and even with the TV droning on it felt awkward and too quiet. You had torn away, cheeks flushed with cool blue blood and eyes wide.

You both stared at each other for a long moment before you finally mumbled out an apology because hell if you knew what else to say. He just said “S’okay.” Stupid accent is worse than Eridan’s. But a week later he showed up with the excuse of Jade having a “sleepover” with Rose and the two of you crashed on the couch together.

A few days after that he asked if you had the “hots” for him and you punched him. You broke his glasses, which really wasn’t what you were aiming for so you made John alchemize him a new pair later. But first you told Davesprite how stupid he is and that if anything you were pale for him because the whole situation was just stupid and you refused to ignore it any longer. He just grinned, that cocky Strider grin of course, and said okay. Stupid, pitiful, boy.

Now he knows but he still doesn’t get Moirallegiance. So when you ask if you’re Moirails he just says, “Vriska, I don’t have a clue what the hell that means beyond us being best bros and ‘getting our cuddle on’. Which is fine if it’s just that. I’m cool with the bro cuddles even though it’s kind of weird but, Christ, you and your orange fetish, I should’ve seen it coming.” You usually punch him in the arm before he can continue on.

When he stays with you, or even when John stays with you, the nightmares tend to stay away. But last night he was with Jade and John was at home, not curled up on the couch with you, so the nightmares came again. Sopor, yeah, you don’t know why it’s not working as well as it used to. Maybe it’s because you aren’t actually sleeping in a pool of it, instead just rubbing it into your skin so you can sleep in a bed. “They aren’t the same. Different kind of nightmare I guess.” You say instead. You aren’t sure how this works. All you know is that the one time you dared to go to sleep without your sopor you were haunted by images and pains from wounds you’ve never gotten, of a death you never experienced, and a man with a flirtatious smile you’ve never met. You don’t know why someone so handsome and nice made your stomach twist in horror. The nightmares you get now are blurry things of falling, blood bubbling up from within your throat, and everything going dark. Other times it’s seeing it happen to John. Seeing him get tricked and killed.

Both your deaths by the same hand.

You glance at Davesprite out of the corner of your eye just in time to see him nod. You joined up in the field with all of the olive trees, both having been called to the main building by Rose. He was headed to drag you out of bed and was obviously surprised to find that you were already going. He doesn’t look tired, you don’t think he even really needs sleep, but this is Davesprite. He thinks that waking up before twelve is a sin or something. So he’s going to be grumpy about it and you don’t blame him one bit.

“What does little Miss. Lalonde waaaaaaaant?” You whine leaning into him and scrunching up your nose when his feathers tickle your face.

“You think she actually told me?” He huffs indignantly.

“You pity her, she pities you, yeah, I would assume so.” You grumble back.

Rose Lalonde is a no good meddling meddler who steals Moirails. You don’t like her. Especially after hearing about how Karkat had declared her John’s Matesprit. Stupid, no good, meddling leader needs to mind his own business.

“I don’t pity Rose. She’s my sister, okay? Do you understand that?”

“Do you understand Moirallegiance?” You counter.

“No.”

“Then no, I don’t get your sister thing.” You reply slipping an arm around his waist.

He rests his head against the top of your own, something the other Dave wouldn’t be able to do, and gives you a squeeze. “Nobody gets sister things.”

You have a feeling he’s making some joke out of this so you jab him in the side with your knuckle making him squawk. You giggle and his face flushes gold, lips twisting into a scowl. “I hate you.”

“Ooh Mr. Strider, ooooooooh…” You sigh dramatically and his arm suddenly slips down so he can tickle you.

Despite it all it seems you are still the first to arrive in the clearing, or perhaps you were the only two called, it doesn’t matter. The main building is larger than all of the others and behind it are the overgrown remains of the golden ship. This is the center of the island and the place that all of your paths lead to, Davesprite has explained that this is yet another reference to whatever gods the humans used to worship.

White pillars taller than almost all of the trees on the island hold up a roof decorated with Lusii and monsters. Ivy has crawled up and now almost reaches the ceiling despite the columns’ height and the cypress trees are quickly catching up. You ascend the marble staircase and head towards the large wooden doors that already stand open. The wrap around porch holds a table, some chairs, and potted flowers, all beautiful and expensive looking. You still feel out of place among it all.

You walk down the hall, your steps silent and Davesprite floating, so when you turn to enter the library you aren’t surprised that they haven’t heard you. As soon as you see them, lip-locked and pressed against the dark wood of the desk, you grin, opening your mouth to call out to them. But instead a hand is clamped over your mouth and Davesprite drags you away, eyes wide behind his golden shades. He’s rigid, completely freaked out, so you simply allow him to pull you from the building once more.

As soon as you’re on the porch again you turn on him. “Dave.”

“Oh my god. What the hell was that? Oh my god.” He hisses, eyes not wide but squeezed shut.

“I believe we just walked in on your ‘sister thing’ kissing her Matesprit.” You reply, failing to keep the amusement from your voice completely. He glares at you, lips twisting in disgust.

“No.”

“I don’t knoooooooow Dave… That’s sure what it looked like to me…” You tease, lips pulling into a wicked grin, all fangs and black lips. “They, as Vantas would say, were locked in an embrace, kissing _passionately_ , their love-“

“No! Shut up! Shut your dirty mouth! Oh my god!” He clamps his hands over his ears and squeezes his eyes shut even tighter, as if he could actually keep it all out. “I am forever scarred with that image. Jesus Christ, why him? Why _him_?”

“As if I know. Sollux is a skinny, geeky, bastard, I don’t get why all the girls pity him.” You snort.

Davesprite moans, clawed hands gripping his head tighter. “No.”

You laugh, slinging an arm around him and pulling him down so you can press a kiss to his cheek. He’s a pitiful thing.

He groans and whines and carries on and it’s a wonder neither of them have heard him yet, especially with you laughing so hard. You do guess it’s muffled by Dave’s chest and thick ruff of feathers though. “I cannot deal with this Serket.”

“I don’t know Strider, having Sollux as a…” You scrunch up your nose, pulling back to look him in the eye. He’s still glaring. “Brother and law might not be that bad…”

He snorts jerking his chin towards the door. “It’s brother- _in_ -law. And yes, yes it would be that bad.” He grumbles.

You really don’t get human terms they’re stupid. But that doesn’t matter, what does matter is Moirail Cuddles. Moirail Cuddles are the best, especially with Davesprite because he’s all fluffy, warm, and familiar.

“Christ Vriska…” He mumbles and you pull back to glare at him. “Neeeeeeeedy…”

“Shove it Strider!” You hiss punching him in the shoulder. He only laughs, a strange noise that reminds you of some of the bird calls around here. You think that’s probably why he tries even harder than Dave not to, at least around those he doesn’t trust. It’s pitiful.

You pout at him and his brow furrows at your sudden mood swing. “What?”

“Pitiful,” you huff pulling him down to press a kiss to his forehead.

“Uh, guys…?” Davesprite jolts at the sudden appearance of John but you just glance in his direction before pulling Davesprite closer. John and Karkat are coming up, both eyeing you warily. “What are you… doing?” John laughs nervously and Karkat just scowls rolling his eyes.

“No, please go back to flaunting your pity like the imbeciles you are, I’ll just be inside getting some actual shit done.” Karkat snaps, stomping up the stairs, all four feet and eight inches of him rigid and radiating hate.

“You’re just jealous.” Davesprite decides resting his cheek on the top of your head again, careful to avoid your horns.

John looks a bit horrified and Karkat looks, well, like he usually does, like he wants to shoot someone if not himself. “What?” John asks looking between the three of you with wide blue eyes.

“They’re Moirails, oh, intelligent leader of mine.” Karkat hisses before moving to go into the building. You’re a little surprised his language isn’t as coarse as usual and his words are a little less sharp, maybe something’s wrong, you don’t know and you don’t care.

“Oh no, Vantas…” You purr, reaching out to grab him by the sleeve of his sweater.

“The hell do you want now?” He snaps.

“They’re in the middle of something…” Your grin comes back with a vengeance and Karkat leans away warily.

“Does someone care to explain what’s going on?” John whines and Davesprite groans pulling out of your grasp.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Dude! Are you two, like, a thing?” John hisses, blue eyes flicking between the two of you. The boy is incapable of being quiet.

Your grin only grows though because he has to be jealous, he has to be.

“Yes John, I’m one of those jerks who would cheat on a cute little lady like your sister.” Davesprite grumbles sarcastically. “It’s their weird alien cuddle romance. Not their weird alien make-out romance.”

John pouts at him, dark brows knitting together, and he opens his mouth to respond but Karkat’s cutting him off.

“Wow, you culturally insensitive ass, our romance is so much more complex and beautiful than that.” Karkat barks, black lips curling up so you can see all of his sharp teeth. That’s more like the Karkat you know. It’s a threat but humans are stupid and Karkat is Karkat, so it’s not really all that threatening in the first place. Especially when he’s talking about romance. “Now, to get this over with-“

“Waaaaaaaait!” You grab his wrist and yank him back before he can try to go inside. You’re a little shocked he was prepared to let Dave off that easy. He hisses, snapping at your hands, but, as you said, it’s Karkat. “You’ll interrupt the _glorious_ moment that’s currently taking place.”

He gives you the most exasperated look you’ve ever seen but doesn’t object. Which is actually shocking. “This better be good Serket.”

You lean in and he stiffens. Your kind isn’t used to being this close, at least not when you aren’t in a Quadrant. And you would never be in a Quadrant with Karkat Vantas. “Sollux and Rose…” You whisper in his ear and wait for the inevitable.

“ _What_?” He yells right in your own but it was totally worth it.

You pull away grinning and take in Karkat’s look of horror. This boy’s expressions, you swear. If you had gotten the full experience of talking with him online you may have actually grown to like him.

“ _What_?” He repeats. “What do you…? _What_?”

You throw your head back and laugh feeling pretty damn proud of yourself. You’ve rendered Karkat Vantas as close to speechless as he’s ever been and probably ever will be. The words he spews are even emptier and more numerous than Dave’s. That’s saying something.

Karkat shakes his head, stunned look turning into one of anger, and promptly storms into the building. You look to Davesprite and he smirks. Even he must see how this is sure to go. “Well then. This should be good.”

You stride ahead of your two heroes, grin threatening to split your face in half. Karkat’s reaction is going to be priceless; you wouldn’t miss it for the world. But when you reach the library you are not greeted by two blushing teens and a sputtering Karkat but by the words “Jesus KK, don’t be such a perv!” and “I must agree Mr. Vantas, this is a place of learning, it is not for ‘sloppy make outs’ as you call it.” The first is lisped even worse than usual and the second is dripping with a little too much sarcasm. Your grin turns wicked and you hear Dave snort indignantly from behind.

“Oh Ms. Captoooooooor…” You purr, slipping into the room. The walls reach all the way up, arching into a dome, and shelves full of books as thick as Equius are pressed against them. Rose’s desk is a large, dark brown, block covered with papers and pens. It’s always a mess. And in the center of the room, sitting on a thick red rug, is a pair of chairs, a coffee table, and a couch.

Rose, who is currently seated at her desk instead of being pushed against it, glares daggers at you with those purple eyes of hers. Sollux is sprawled across the couch, a whole ten feet away from where he was when you first arrived, all seven feet and one hundred pounds of him bony and relaxed as if he has been there all morning. He’s rolling his eyes, you’re sure.

Karkat glares at you too but he doesn’t say anything, just claims the largest chair and attempts to sit in it like a throne. He only succeeds in looking like a grumpy little brat.

You make your way over to Sollux, abandoning your original plan of harassing the human instead, and are happy to see Davesprite floating over to Rose. You are the perfect team. It is you. You turn your attention to John who is just standing in the doorway looking like a lost puppy and try your hardest to look at him pleadingly. You could never match his puppy eyes though. He seems confused until you make a jerky little motion towards Karkat that he thankfully doesn’t notice. John just rolls those big blue eyes before bounding over to the other boy.

When you look back at Sollux he’s shaking his head.

“Soooooooollux…” You purr, slipping behind the couch. He glares up at you warily. You don’t think he’s gotten over the whole thing with his Moirail yet. You smirk down at him, cross your arms on the back of the couch, and lean down to look at him. “You have a little something on your lips Mr. Captor.”

His eye, the blue one you notice, twitches ever so slightly but then his lips, smudged with black, are pulling into a smirk and his sharp teeth are sticking out all over the place. “Yeah, unlike someone I can actually get a Matesprit.” He replies, voice calm but words dripping with venom. And he has succeeded; he has struck a nerve. His words make your blood boil and your fists clench, nails biting at your skin and mind screaming “ _Make him pay_ ”. But you don’t because as hot and bothered as it makes you it also echoes through your being as an undeniable, icy, truth that just makes you want to curl up and cry.

You, Vriska Serket, are not an easy girl to love and you certainly have no reason to be pitied.

You scowl at him despite your best efforts and the boy smirks, crossing his arms behind his head and laying back once more. You sometimes wonder if he’s black for you, maybe that’s why he tries to ignite such a fire within you. Or maybe it’s just because revenge is a temptress that even Sollux Captor cannot withstand. “There something wrong Ms. Serket?” He asks innocently and you want to punch him until those teeth fall out all over again and that horrible lisp is gone with them, you want to make him say your name right. But not in a romantic way, you don’t want to make him burn, make him long for more; you want him to freeze over with an icy, unsatisfying, hate. The kind that makes you sick, repels instead of tempts.

“No, of course not Mr. Captor, just filing it all away for later.” You say finally, once the wave of self-pity has passed.

“I’m sure.”

Rose clears her throat and you jerk your head in her direction, meeting her icy purple gaze head on. They’re the worst couple in the history of Matespritship. He’s all tall and bony and she’s so tiny and all soft curves, he’s wrapped up in his computer for days and she does the same with her writing, he’s depressing and sarcastic and she’s snarky and dark. Okay, you take it back; they’re eerily perfect for each other. You just can’t see how it’s red and not as pitch black as a moonless night.

“Believe it or not you all have been asked to join us today for something important. I was hoping the others would drag themselves out of bed, put on their happy face, and get here on time, but it seems you are the only ones feeling punctual this morning.” She’s snappy and rude and you don’t see how John could ever pity her. Ever. “Which is actually quite a shocker.” She’s sure to add, gaze never leaving you.

You glare back, smirking when Davesprite shoves at her arm. She finally looks away.

“What’s wrong?” John chirps, not even noticing the exchange.

“Nothing’s wrong, not exactly.” For once the great Rose Lalonde doesn’t sound so sure of herself. You notice the bags under her eyes and how her clothes are slightly wrinkled for the first time. Ms. Lalonde is always flawless, her makeup, her posture, her clothes, all of them perfect. This new development makes you feel a little better. “You see the horrorterrors have been speaking to us again… Meaning the Derse dreamers.”

Sollux visibly stiffens in response and Karkat’s face twists into another of his one of a kind expressions. John looks worried but you know he doesn’t really get it because you don’t either. Maybe you’re lucky to have been a Prospit dreamer.

“I haven’t noticed,” Davesprite mumbles finally.

“They never really spoke to you. From what we understand they never took an interest in you, Nepeta, or Equius. Not as much as everyone else. We were seen as the weak links; unstable is perhaps a better word for it. I was too stubborn to see that what I was doing was, indeed, wrong; I thought that I was correct and that I would be able to handle all of the power given to me. Sollux is… a bit volatile…” He huffs and grumbles but does not object. “Eridan is violent and holds grudges and is, well…”

“Eridan,” you supply and the familiar quirk to her black lips is back.

“Yes, Eridan. Aradia is used to the voices in her head so they don’t seem to bother her like they do us, thankfully. As well as Feferi who has had one acting as her parent her entire life.” Rose continues, glancing at the door when Eridan barges in. He’s all tall and regal looking, hair slicked back, jaw strong, and eyes just beginning to shift to violet. But really he’s just a big joke with his purple cape and ridiculous patch of matching hair. He nods sharply before sauntering over to the free chair and collapsing into it with a sigh.

“Speaking of the devil!” You say, grinning broadly at your ex. He glares weakly at you, lips pulling back to reveal sharp white teeth.

“It’s ‘speak of the devil’, Vriska.” Davesprite mumbles, lips twitching into an all too familiar smirk that reminds you of Lalonde’s. You just stick your tongue out at him.

“As I was saying, Sollux, Eridan, and I seem to be the only ones truly bothered by them. They have been giving us visions though…” She murmurs reaching down to get something that is at her feet. “But they are not reliable.” She adds, standing up straight once more. She has a small wooden bowl and a stick covered in leaves.

“Uh… Rose?”

“These are traditional laurel leaves, this is not water from the Kassotis though, I simply gathered it from the stream, and then of course, oh, Dave, would you please grab my stool?”

You all just stare at her for a moment, waiting for someone else to break the silence. “What are you glubbin’ about?”

“No Eridan, the proper question is ‘what the hell are you even talking about?’” Dave replies, his attention shifting back to his sister. “Laurel leaves and water?”

“Dave,” she sighs. “You _are_ the one who continues to compare our current situation to Greek mythology. I, acting as the seer, will attempt to perform my duties as those before me did.” She holds up the bowl and the laurel, purple eyes flicking over in your direction. “There is a reason for those cracks in the basement it seems.” You frown at her trying to understand what she’s getting at, but then you glance down and realize Sollux has grown rigid once more. Whatever message her words carry it was not meant for you.

“So… how does this work…?” John asks warily.

“I sit on a stool, a tripod to be more specific, and peer into this bowl of ‘holy water’ while holding this in my free hand.” She replies calmly, holding up the twig.

“Oh good grief…” Davesprite grumbles gathering up the stool sitting behind her desk. She must have alchemized it. “Okay, so for an hour? A day…?”

“I’m not sure. It is the seventh day of the month…”

“You’re keeping track of the perigees?” Karkat scoffs and Rose sighs.

“Mr. Vantas, we have a god of time among us, he knows these things whether he wants to or not. That is how I know it is the seventh day of the seventh month even though there seems to be only a single season here. It is the perfect time to do this.” Rose replies, quickly growing irritated, you can tell. “Now, I will lock myself away in the basement and you all will leave me alone until I come out.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait a sec Rose.” John cuts in, brows furrowing and that cute little pout coming to his lips. “This isn’t… You’re sure this isn’t just more crazy grimdark crap right?”

“Yes John.” She doesn’t sound very convincing, especially with Sollux fighting to restrain himself, grinding his teeth and eyes shining a little brighter.

Today has already proven to be odd but it’s not over yet. Karkat leaves as soon as he can, acting quiet and awkward which really is odd for him, well, minus the awkward part. And then when Kanaya comes in the first thing she asks is “Karkat is here too isn’t he?” And when she was informed that he had already left she looked uncomfortable if not upset. You were tempted to ask what was wrong but you aren’t her Moirail anymore, it’s not really your place. The others come and are filled in on the situation, some seem to care more than others, and Gamzee doesn’t care at all. Most are wary though, Equius begins to sweat right away, curious to know about the visions but Rose is quick to tell them that they aren’t very clear. You think she may be lying.

Once everyone has been informed of what will be taking place Davesprite helps Rose carry her supplies downstairs into the thick black of the basement, his glow breaking through it just enough to light their way. When he comes back up he is alone.

You drag him home, not letting John pester him too much. It’s like Gamzee and Karkat’s silent agreements; you must be the one to act needy, at least right now. His mask is cracking, his lips twisting downwards instead of the usual bored expression, but he still remains calm while trying to slip out of his conversation with John. You must admit that you are impressed by his self-control. John is worried and you want to assure him it will be fine, take him home and coddle over him and Davesprite both until the girl emerges from the dark again and then it will be back to her being the star.

He pities her, you’re sure. She’s beautiful but delicate and small, unstable as she admitted herself; so pale and dainty just like the rest of them. You can understand how he would pity her. John treats her like she’s special; he grins goofily at her and flushes when he’s granted with a real smile, not just a quirk of black lips. He’ll open doors for her, bow to her jokingly, but he still does it. She reduces him to what you had originally intended to, a blushing stuttering mess, uncertain of every move to make and what words to say. John believes women deserve to be treated like they’re royal, delicate, special, they should be loving and pure and all of the things that you aren’t. Rose isn’t perfect but she does fit the requirements of being a lady better than you. She’s a better woman, a better protégé, and a better goddess of light.

She may be pitiful and breakable but her mind is sharp, her words are used as weapons, same as Dave’s. She’s quick and dangerous. And you hate her almost as much as you envy her.

But she is special to your Moirail, if something was to happen to her you know that he would be broken. So you don’t get into it with her as tempting as it is. She reminds you of Terezi that way.

So you take Davesprite home and keep your insults locked away as he whispers of his fears. “If she goes grimdark again we won’t be able to do shit about it… her old body was like that even after death and crap. Like… all monochrome and creepy and Christ Vriska, what am I going to do if she goes crazy again?” He murmurs head tucked in the crook of your neck and shades abandoned on the coffee table.

You run your hand lazily through his ruff of gold and white feathers that are soft to the touch and flutter to the floor occasionally. “She’ll be okay Dave, she’s not doing what they told her to do, she’s not giving into it.” You assure him, shifting ever so slightly and just making him cling to you tighter, tail squeezing your leg and claws digging into your arm. You feel bad for not sounding convincing or even concerned. “Hey, Lalonde is strong, she can take care of herself.” You wouldn’t admit that to anyone else, and you’re pretty sure he knows it. “Jade will probably want to spend the night with you,” you add softly. “You should really go home.”

He agrees but the two of you continue to lie there for a few more minutes before finally untangling. Davesprite puts his shades back on and the two of you walk out just in time to find Jade and Dave coming up. Jade grins brightly, almost exactly like John, and runs up to embrace her Matesprit. You can’t help but smile. She makes him happy so she automatically makes you happy, too.

Jade is sweet, her language and temper are horrible, something you blame on Vantas, but she’s still as sweet as sugar and treats Davesprite like he’s still a human being. Sometimes it really irritates you how he tends to be ignored and brushed off, even by John, but Jade treats him right. And so does Rose, so she’s not all bad. Jade and you don’t talk much if at all but you know Davesprite tells you about her so you’re sure he tells her about you. You’ve chatted online on occasion and you like her, she doesn’t seem to mind you much either but she’s still wary. You don’t blame her.

Jade is trusting though, just like John, and you’ve won Davesprite’s trust so that’s another plus. Whenever you’re together she acts as if you both are the best of friends, when you really aren’t, and has even prodded Nepeta to talk to you, you think.

She breaks the hug, green eyes shining brightly and sun kissed skin rosy. She pecks him on the cheek making his own lips quirk up ever so slightly. Davesprite adores the girl. She’s not very pitiful; she’s sturdier than the others, snappy and strong. She’s built to withstand the elements, hands rougher than her fellow humans’, skin darker, and muscles more obvious. Maybe not as obvious as either of the Daves’ but it’s still there.

Jade may be the only human who you actually think highly of, who you have decided deserves some respect. John fills you with pride, he’s become someone who should be respected but that was with your help and still he sometimes acts clueless and ditzy. You love him for it though. Dave, the human one, has not earned a sliver of respect from you. He may be tolerable sometimes but definitely not someone worthy of anything close to respect, not from you. He’s smug, egotistical, and completely unbearable. He thinks he’s better than everyone else and acts as if he deserves twice as much of the very thing you believe he shouldn’t receive. That cancels out anything he had going for him like sacrificing himself with Rose. Her, you do not respect, not really, you admire that she has something that you do not, you envy her, you’re jealous of her, and you resent her. But you still do not think she deserves any admiration, falling prey to the gods the way she did.

But, then again, you aren’t one to talk.

Davesprite is different. He’s not like the other humans and he’s not like any of your kind either. He’s more grounded, not so contradictory like humans tend to be. You guess your kind too. He uses less words but the effect is that they mean more. He doesn’t want to be the center of attention, he’s happy to sit back and let the others be the stars. You think it’s not simply because he’s more mature, that he’s learned that being like that is simply childish, you think it’s out of paranoia as well. He’s still worried that this world will be torn from his grasp, that it’s not meant for him, that he does not deserve it. Everyone else seems to know he does, for the most part. He seems to have come to the conclusion that sitting back to take it all in is more rewarding than being a part of it all. But then you realized it’s not that, it’s more about wanting to keep an eye on all of the people that he cares about so dearly. You think you understand.

But, as mature as he is and how serious he has become, he still has his moments. “Hey there babe,” Davesprite says finally.

She rolls her eyes at the name pulling out of his grasp. “Dork!” She replies fondly before turning her gaze on you. She smiles even bigger and you smile back. At first you felt uncomfortable around Jade but not anymore. “Hi Vriska!” In one big step, thick skirts ruffling around her legs, she’s in front of you. You meet her hug halfway and allow a kiss to be pressed to your cheek.

At first it had made you uncomfortable how she would always be too close or too touchy but Davesprite has explained that it’s just how she is. She’s not used to being around other people and doesn’t understand the concept of personal space. You guess living on an island can do that to a person.

You can feel the other, human, Dave staring but you ignore him. “Hey Jade!”

“I’m going to steal Dave for a while, okay?” She says teasingly. You only grin at her, watching as she drags Davesprite away, waving to you as she goes.

When she’s out of sight the other Dave is still there, standing at the stairs with his hands in his pockets, facing the direction his alternate self went but you know his eyes are on you. Those shades can fool some but not you. “Something wrong Strider?” You purr, leaning against one of the pillars of your home.

“You don’t think it’s really creepy how, oh, I don’t know, you spend your days snuggling with _me_?” He replies, finally facing you.

“Davesprite isn’t you,” you reply smoothly. “He may have been at one point but I assure you that you are not the same.” He snorts and it makes your lips twitch because it’s so similar to the sound Davesprite makes. “He has better taste than you,” you add, making his brow quirk up. “What’s really creepy,” you continue before he can start. “Is knowing that you spend your days snuggling with Pyrope.”

He doesn’t object to that, he seems a little surprised, a snort escaping him. Finally he just nods his head, smirking faintly, before turning to leave. At least he knows when he has overstayed his welcome.

John comes over later and you are absolutely delighted, so delighted, in fact, that you almost don’t notice how uncomfortable he is. He laughs nervously when you drag him inside, asking if Davesprite is around, and then later when you’re watching the movie he keeps shifting around uncomfortably, raising his arm but then quickly lowering it. “Oh my god, what’s wrong?” You say finally after the third or fourth time.

He flushes a brilliant red but it’s hard to make it out in the flashing light coming from the screen. “N-nothing! Geez!”

“Joooooooohn!” You whine and his blue eyes quickly flick away, oversized teeth abusing his already cracked lip. You huff at his distress and reach out in order to pull his legs from their current position of “crisscross-applesauce” as he refers to it but he freaks out when you do. “Good grief John! Calm down!”

“Good grief is right! What are you doing? Oh my god!” He stammers, blush growing and ears also beginning to turn red.

“Gosh John! Can a girl not get a willing pillow around here?”

He looks like a deer caught in headlights, another human term you have learned from Davesprite, but then the blush is back with a vengeance as well as that nervous little smile you love so much. “Oh,” he laughs and quickly moves to his usual spot.

You roll your eyes, laying out on the couch and using his lap as a pillow. He plays with the ends of your hair and brushes the tangled mess from your face with those long fingers of his. It’s nice and soon enough you’re drifting off.

The next day is spent with both John and Davesprite, your wish coming true. The boys move the coffee table out of the way and tear everything apart, grabbing blankets, pillows, and cushions till you have a pile in your living room right in front of the TV. Then you all curl up, you in the middle, John’s shoulder serving as your pillow and his cheek resting against the top of your head in turn, and then Davesprite rests his head on your stomach and his tail curls around himself as a blanket. It’s warm and comfortable, well, you doubt Davesprite is very comfortable with his wings like they are but he adjusts himself so they wrap around him too, so you hope it’s okay. You’re lucky that your wings can slip away, into your back. He’s comfortable enough to not be complaining about it, though, but when it comes to the subject of movies it’s another matter entirely. He makes stupid comments and weak insults that make you giggle and John huff, but not as eager as he once was to defend his precious movies.

When the subject of Rose comes up, Liv Tyler just happens to be on screen, of course, you are quick to change it. But it doesn’t work so instead you begin running your hand through Davesprite’s feathers making him sigh and melt into your touch. Your other hand slips into John’s to give it a squeeze. Your boys are quieted once more.

John’s free hand creeps over and hesitantly pets at Davesprite’s feathers. The wrong way, naturally, making him squawk in displeasure, tearing away from the boy’s touch. It’s quiet for a second, then Dave’s blushing thickly and John is stuttering out apologies and you’re throwing your head back to laugh.

The next morning a new memo has been opened, titled “the current condiitiion of our darliing oracle”, that informs you all that Rose has been successful but now must rest. It’s all angry and vague but you couldn’t care less. Davesprite is frustrated by it though and heads straight for Rose’s home. You don’t go with him; it’s not your place. But when he comes back he tells you that Rose really is fine and that Sollux is taking good care of her, something that he admits begrudgingly.

He also tells you of her vision, a new world.

You don’t understand and when you ask him for more information he can only shrug and tell you that’s all he was told. She wasn’t making much sense, not from having her tongue twisted by the gods but by pure joy.

You suppose you’re glad.

And then, the next morning, you’re dragged out of bed by an overexcited boy with blue eyes the size of saucers and a grin to match. “Vriska! Come ooon! Hurry up!” He whines throwing the covers off of you. You swear to god, if you didn’t pity this boy…

He doesn’t even give you time to wash off the sopor that is now flaking away on your skin or to change out of your baggy t-shirt and shorts, he drags you down the hall and out the door but stops you as soon as your feet hit the damp grass. He points up at the sky insistently and you quickly realize why. The blue, the perfect blue that matches John’s eyes, is no longer there. Instead there are thick clouds dancing with light and images. The clouds of Skaia.

You never really paid them much mind but it’s impossible not to now. They’re massive and twisting, curling around themselves and others. They are the perfect white of everything else here.

You stare up at them with John by your side, hand still locked with your own, watching the images dance across the sky. Civilizations, of both humans and trolls, are rising in a land that reminds you of your own but is too different to be Alternia. You see flashes of battles and beauty, of hardships and striving. But the image of one creature in particular catches your eye. She’s striking, eyes an icy blue, skin slate grey, thick black hair framing her face perfectly. Her lips, painted midnight black, are just barely tilted upwards, a hint of a smile and a flash of mischief in her eyes. High cheekbones are painted with swirls of cerulean and sticking out of her hair is a pair of golden horns. They are odd, too shiny like metal; no, they are metal. And around her neck she wears a heavy collar of gold and turquoise and, in it’s center, your symbol. She’s seated on a throne, her robes of gold and blue falling loosely around her, and on her head she wears a golden crown to match her horns.

You stare up at her, mouth hanging open ever so slightly. You don’t know who or what she is but you have a feeling she has every right to share your symbol.

“Wow! She was pretty!” John murmurs and you punch him in the shoulder making him whine and pout.

“What is this?” You demand, motioning to the sky.

“It’s the clouds! You know, the ones that give you visions and stuff! Rose said that the horrorterrors are backing off or something, giving us more freedom to actually act like gods! She says that they might grant us even more!” He answers eagerly. “C’mon!” And you’re off again, this time across the rocky beach and through the tall grass all the way to the main building where everyone has gathered together to stare at the sky.

Thankfully everyone else seems to have not had much time to get dressed either, so you aren’t sticking out. Equius stands with Nepeta, her leaning against him, clutching his arm. His hair is tied back and his shades missing. He’s in an undershirt and some shorts and by his side Nepeta is in a little pink dress with bows and cartoons of a white cat. Her hat is missing as well as her tail for once, skin covered with flakes like your own. Aradia stands close to him too, engrossed in the visions in the heavens.

Davesprite is floating by Jade, in his usual gold shirt but she has on the hoodie John alchemized for him, golden and the front bearing an orange sword. It must be some sort of human practice to wear another’s symbol. You’ll have to ask.

Sitting on the stairs is Rose between Kanaya and Sollux and behind them stands Eridan and Feferi. Rose looks exhausted, the bags under her eyes are even more pronounced and her skin is an unhealthy white. Sollux doesn’t have his arm around her or is even holding her hand but they are still sitting too close to be an accident. Same as Feferi and Eridan, the two of them are too close, the former leaning against the latter, hands brushing. All of them are in their pajamas, which, in Sollux’s case, is basically what he wears all the time.

Gamzee is sprawled in the grass and Karkat is barking at him to get up with Tavros standing awkwardly nearby, Terezi is leaning against Dave with a bored expression on her face, maybe she can’t smell the clouds, you don’t know.

You make your way over to Rose, dragging John along with you. She smiles at you, too tired to be snarky with you, you suppose. “Ms. Serket…”

“Lalonde.”

“So, are you planning on raising an empire yet?”

“First I need to know what the hell is going on.” You reply with a huff.

“We created another universe through shenanigans, we thought that that meant we wouldn’t get the benefits that actual winning brought. We were wrong. Winning the game means you get a new universe you are allowed to rule over as you please, if you played the game well it also means you get immortality. Cheating apparently gets you both.” She explains. “The horrorterrors have no desire to rule over a group of mortals and they don’t care to rule over us, they simply don’t want anymore universes.”

“What? Why?”

“Too much trouble, too much to keep track of, too many foolish races. I don’t really know nor do I care.” She says with a wave of her hand. “But, most importantly, it seems shenanigans get both parties what they desire. One lone universe with no splinters, no more games, no more paradoxes.”

“So… we can rule over these people… and… we don’t have anymore games to worry about?” That’s a factor you never thought about. You never considered that another universe meant another game, another link in a never ending chain.

The thought of it makes you feel a little sick to your stomach.

“No, we are truly free.” She says and Rose Lalonde, the girl you envy and hate, smiles at you so brightly you can’t help but smile back.

“So, this whole empire thing…?” You ask eagerly and she rolls her eyes.

“Next I will begin working on a way to manipulate the new world. But only so we may push the people to do good, nothing more.” She snaps, eyes narrowing. “If you do wish to build an empire I must insist you do not use it to make trouble.”

You gasp dramatically as if such an idea offended you. It doesn’t because that’s exactly what you plan to do. “Why Ms. Lalonde, I’m hurt!”

“Yes, I’m so very sorry, I really should learn to make accusations with more basis.” she sighs and Sollux snorts. You ignore them.

“Hey! Ampora! Alliance?” You call, grinning up at him.

He glares down at you but still huffs out a “Fine”.

You’ve found a new game to play. Another test of power and this time with an even broader playing field and so many more pawns. You’re excited to start.

“So, how does it work?” You demand.

“Have you not been listening at all?” Sollux grumbles. “We don’t know how to do it yet.”

“The horrorterrors have agreed to teach me the way-“

“Rose! No!” John cries stepping forward. You had almost forgotten he was there. “The last time they tried to help you with anything-“

“JN, you’re wasting your breath. Trust me.” Sollux grumbles, crossing his arms. Seems this conversation has happened before; the first argument between the new couple, interesting.

Rose only smiles, shaking her head. “You both shouldn’t worry, I have this under control.”

Sollux barks out a laugh, cold and mocking, slowly standing to his full height, not slouching like usual. He’s got a good seven or eight inches on you and when a marble step is added into the mix you feel like he’s towering over you. Usually Sollux and Gamzee are hunched over or even sitting so it’s not as noticeable but now it’s obvious. Captor is all skin and bones but his gaunt face and glowing eyes are still intimidating.

“Wait, but, Rose! You can’t trust them! I mean…” John looks to Sollux for help but he’s already leaving and when he looks to you you’re afraid you don’t have anything to add. “Rose, _please_.” You don’t like how much they rely on her, both John and Davesprite; it’s frustrating.

“John, I know what I’m doing.” She assures him, giving him her best smile.

He doesn’t look assured.

You pull him away to talk to Davesprite and Jade. Dave isn’t very excited, unlike Jade; he seems more worried about Rose. You convince Jade to team up with you, too, making your boys both roll their eyes.

Slowly everyone grows bored and goes home. Davesprite goes with Jade so you drag John home with you. Your nest is still in your living room so you both just curl up there, him behind you, arm slung around your waist and face pressed against the back of your neck. It’s warm and safe with him there, sleeping without sopor is easy as long as you have him.

Maybe it’s just because you spend so much time with Davesprite but at first you don’t notice how your blush is becoming a strange mix of blue and green or how John’s sickly red is becoming a burnt orange. Instead Davesprite’s attention is the first to be grabbed by the striking color change. It’s after you’ve been practically rolling on the floor laughing and you’re just laying there gasping for breath between the few little giggles bubbling up your throat. He props himself up on his arm beside you, shades pushed back into his golden hair and a rare grin on his face, but then his brows furrow and it’s back to being covered in a veneer of uncaring composure. It makes you frown back because whenever this happens you know something is wrong.

“Your blood is blue,” he says finally and you snort.

“Duuuuuuuuh!” You reply trying to shove him but he bats your hands away.

“No, no, like… your blood is _supposed_ to be blue.”

You narrow your eyes. “Yes Dave, I _am_ a blue blood.”

“You blushed gold.” He says and is visibly uncomfortable with the statement. He hates gold; he hates himself too sometimes.

You laugh but it’s strained because deep down you know he’s not joking. “Dave, seriously-“

“Vriska.” His mask is cracking; he’s beginning to look _afraid_. You wonder if he has nightmares about things like this, about becoming what he is or maybe even watching Jade turn a shocking green, like your nightmares of dying and then watching it all happen to John, too. You can’t freak out about this, not in front of him.

“It’s okay,” you assure him, putting up a mask of your own. “Just… give me a second.” You say standing. When he moves to follow, you push him back down and order him to stay. He just grumbles at you about not being a dog.

You force yourself to walk slowly and fight to steady your hands when they start to shake. You aren’t going to kill yourself in such a stupid way, not after all the crap you’ve been through.

You’re in Davesprite’s home; it’s shaped like a birdcage in your opinion. It’s tall, like a giant cylinder topped with a dome. The porch wraps around it, milky white marble with veins of sparkling gold and sometimes black, and the pillars added into the mix look like bars. Palm and laurel trees are planted around it, you’re pretty sure this is the only place either of the plants grows on the island.

You creep down the hall and into his room; it’s a mess like usual, the bed has been shoved into the corner and on top of it is where Dave’s roost has formed, even more extreme than your own. He’s used all of his blankets and pillows and you’re sure he’s stolen a few from you as well as alchemized some. It’s shaped like an actual bird nest and it’s surprisingly comfortable even though there’s a ton of feathers scattered inside and it’s a bit lumpy. The counter of his dresser is reserved for his sword while his side table is used for the few little shiny objects that catch his eye. He says it’s like your oranges and lavender, it’s just a strange weakness he gives into sometimes.

You walk over to hesitantly grab his sword. You suppose using a knife would be easier but it doesn’t matter. It’s not very sharp and your skin is tough but you still manage to cut your palm. Your actions are stiff and mechanical and when gold greets you instead of blue you simply close your eyes, fingers curling around the wound.

There are some things about yourself that you’ve known forever. It’s more than common sense; it has been engrained into your very being, a series of facts that cannot be questioned. It’s like the universe, what goes up must come down, energy is passed along, and all life must come to an end. It’s simple and easy; you cannot forget it. You sometimes delight in them, you’re proud of them, while others, like Captor’s words, they echo through you, an undeniable truth that makes your insides ache.

But now everything is changing. The rules you could once rely on in any situation no longer apply. You don’t know what to do.

Your name is Vriska Serket; you are a liar, a manipulator, a thief. You are not an easy girl to love and you certainly aren’t a good person. You’re the descendent of Marquise Spinneret Mindfang and you are a blue blood.

You are nobility; one of the members of the highest castes, your blood is the color of the sea. Your enviable cerulean swill has shaped who you are today. The color of your blood decides who and what you are and what you will be, it is your identity, the thing that gives you a place in the world. It has given you power, you are strong and gifted and you held a spot high in your society. Everything revolved around it.

Your blood is the thing that you are taught to be proud of, the only thing to wear on your sleeve for all to see.

Karkat seems to be confused on the subject; he’s gotten it all twisted around.

Your blood, it may be your most important fact, the first rule that has affected all of the others on your list.

And now, your number one rule, it no longer applies.

Now your hand is dripping with gold, not even the good type of gold like the insides of an egg but the sparkling gold of treasures and money. You’re so tired of gold. And you don’t know what to do.

What goes up doesn’t always come down, energy stays and may never go, your lives no longer have an end. The woman you’ve spent your life trying to become, compared to you, is weak, flawed, nothing special whatsoever.

For once you feel as lost as Tavros. You want someone to tell you what you need to do to fix this, tell you that it all will at least be okay, and tell you that you are still the same. But you know that this is not something that can be fixed, you just know it. You can’t go to Davesprite, he’s as unstable as you right now, going to him would just cause him to become worried and nervous. And deep down, you know you are not, and will never, be the same and haven’t been for a very long time.

Davesprite doesn’t come in a moment later like you were expecting, he stays in the other room and you almost wish he hadn’t listened to your request. You’re starting to feel a little lightheaded. It’s not because of blood loss, of course not, besides your hand is already healing. You’re simply shocked and don’t know what to do with yourself.

Maybe this is how the others feel all of the time, lost and confused and horribly alone in the world. You can see how they would need a leader. You want to just curl up and pester John on the computer but you know that will solve nothing.

You uncurl your fingers, almost afraid of what you will see, only to find your grey skin has closed once more but it is still stained with gold. You suddenly want to puke. No, you’re going to puke. You drop Dave’s sword, letting it clatter to the floor, and head straight to the bathroom, dropping to your knees before the toilet and throwing up. You continue to dry heave until your body is shaking and your head spinning even worse than before. A hand is suddenly raking through your hair, fingers long and spindly but not tipped with claws. John.

He pulls your hair back for you, carefully tying it with god knows what. He lets you sit there for another moment, breathing heavily and fighting to ground yourself, hands gently running up and down your back, brushing the loose sprigs of hair from your face, murmuring quietly in your ear. You can’t really tell what he’s saying but that doesn’t matter, what does is that he’s here for you.

Dave must have called him. Perhaps he knows you better than you thought.

You grimace, wiping at your mouth with the back of your arm. John huffs softly in your ear, rising from the floor to grab a washcloth. You watch him wet it in the sink, ring it out, then turn to you. He tries to smile reassuringly but for once you can’t bring yourself to smile back. He hands it to you uncertainly and you take it, wiping off your mouth and your arm before throwing it to the corner. He rolls his eyes but does not object.

You force yourself to stand, knees feeling weak and head suddenly throbbing in protest. It only makes you angry. You slam the toilet shut and flush it scowling. John lets out a little giggle and you realize how childish you must seem but you’re too exhausted to care.

“Come on Vriska,” John murmurs. “We can go back to your house and watch some movies.” He moves closer, offering you a hand. He knows from experience that you probably wont take it.

He knows how you are.

But you’re tired and lost and for once you don’t just need John, you need him to lead you. So you take his hand. He looks pleasantly surprised and then maybe a little shocked when you lean heavily against him, pulling that arm around you and twining your fingers with his, but he doesn’t object.

He pulls you through Davesprite’s house but stops so the other boy may press a kiss to your temple and tell you what you needed to hear, that it’s going to be fine. You suddenly feel selfish for reacting how you have. He didn’t throw up when he became what he is today, he didn’t throw a fit and act like a child, he had to shift into another body entirely; you just have to deal with a color change. You open your mouth, but then hesitate. Apologizing is embarrassing and hard; luckily Davesprite already knows what you want to say.

“It’s fine Vris,” he tells you, lips pulling into a rare smile, one of the smiles he saves just for those he holds dear. You force yourself to smile back because you already aren’t deserving of it.

John takes you home and your luck keeps you from running into anyone else on the way there. Overhead you catch glimpses of a temple of sparkling white, not quite as extravagant as any of your own but that isn’t what really makes you stare. Standing inside is a statue of gold, a statue of Davesprite. You don’t point it out to John and you force it from your mind. You don’t need any more to worry about.

You brush your teeth. Angrily, practically tearing your last toothbrush apart. You’ll have to alchemize another. John is waiting for you in the living room, movie already in. You curl up against him on the couch and just sleep.

The next day you feel much better but that only makes you want to talk to Rose even more. You leave John to sleep, feeling as if this is something you need to do alone, like you need to make up for being so weak by doing something independently. The walk to the main building is quick, you’re eager to talk to Lalonde and the images overhead are starting to get a bit unnerving, making you want to get inside as fast as possible.

You see statues, shrines, and sacrifices. You can’t help but freeze when you see a human, a man, not very attractive, with sharp features and muddy brown skin, decorated with tattoos and only a small amount of colorful cloth to hide his lower half. He’s cold and dangerous looking, dark eyes empty. He holds a knife, it’s made of stone and the hilt of it is shaped into something, you just can’t tell what, and it has blood on it. He’s made up with colorful feathers and dark makeup and he’s standing before some sort of altar that is also crimson with human blood. You’re feeling a little sick again.

Especially when you realize that at the base of said altar the word “Karkat” has been carved in Alternian.

You’re relieved when you finally reach the main building. You go straight for the library, knowing that’s where she’s going to be. When you barge in she doesn’t look surprised, just glances up from her book then goes right back to reading.

“Good morning Vriska, if you’re here to learn about the new world I will be more than happy to aid you.” She says calmly.

You’re not sure you want to, not any more. “Our blood,” you say and immediately have her attention once more. “Is it more than just me whose blood has changed?”

She blinks at you then frowns. “Your blood? What do you mean it has changed?” So even she has not realized yet. You think that maybe this peaceful world is dulling the senses of those around you, even Rose.

You don’t have to worry about anything anymore, food is alchemized, not hunted, enemies are nonexistent as well as the Condesce, there’s no need to keep in shape or to fight. You and Davesprite will strife sometimes but it’s always awkward because both of you don’t want to hurt the other and you always end up laughing at his shitty sword and how he takes the whole thing so seriously. He’s a big dork but you pity him for it. He makes fun of your dice, too, and how you “really think you have aaaaaaaall the luck”. You do have all of the luck and you make sure to remind him.

Davesprite still thinks it’s his job to take care of everyone so he‘s more focused and catches the things others no longer, you think. But even you have stopped noticing some things. It’s disappointing.

“It’s gold.” You tell her, suddenly feeling exhausted all over again.

She studies you for a moment. “Are… you sure you’re not mistaken?”

You scoff, fighting down the sudden urge to backhand her. “Am I _sure_? Yes I’m _sure_.” You hiss. “I cut myself open the other day and what comes out? _Gold_. Not cerulean, _gold_.”

“I understand, I didn’t mean to _upset_ you.” She snaps back, standing from her desk. “I haven’t noticed any changes…” She adds thoughtfully.

“Maybe that’s because you’ve been hanging out with your little yellow-blooded boyfriend this whole time.” You grumble back.

She glares at you, pulling some scissors from the top drawer of her desk and digging the tip into her skin without a second thought. Out comes liquid gold. You aren’t alone. You scowl, taking a step back, and she finally glances down at her hand.

You can’t tell what she’s thinking. She doesn’t look surprised or upset, she just nods sharply. “I see… Dave’s little comparison only continues to strengthen. What a cliché, why couldn’t it be something more interesting? Vriska, it’s nothing to worry about, this will have no effect on you whatsoever.”

You scoff at her. “ _No effect_?”

She ignores you. “It’s simply a reference to our old gods. For whatever reason our new world seems to be extremely similar to what theirs was like in all of the old myths. Now, do you wish to start organizing your empire? I have, it’s actually quite interesting. So far they have successfully developed speech but they’re a bit iffy with their written language. Hieroglyphics, too complicated, they really must develop writing based off of phonetics.”

You groan, pinching the ridge of your nose. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and I’m having a real hard time making myself actually care.”

“Do you want to create an empire to crush your enemies?” She deadpans, rolling her eyes.

“I thought you’d never ask!”

Rose’s explanation of the change in blood color wasn’t enough but the new knowledge of how to get in these human’s minds certainly is. You’re tired of hearing all of this “Oh, it’s just a reference to human gods” without any more information. Your people never had gods, except for Gamzee and his stupid Messiah, you don’t really get the concept of them beyond them being imaginary Condesces. They sound pretty stupid.

Rose forced her way in early with her people, but you can jump in at any stage of their development it seems. She assures you the sooner the better, they’re always more barbaric around that time, easier to manipulate. You like the sound of that.

She sits you down “crisscross applesauce” and orders you to close your eyes as she sits before you, bowl of water in her lap. You don’t comply, watching for her to do it first. She only gazes steadily back at you. “Vriska, I’m not trying to trick you. I’ve already showed Nepeta, Equius, Sollux, and even Karkat how to do this, if you wish you can just go to one of them.”

“You actually showed Karkat how to do this?” You ask, mind going back to the man and the bloody altar.

“Yes, I believe I might regret that later. If he gives his people his little ‘I am God, prostrate before me you weak little maggots’ speech or whatever it was he told John I’m not sure what will come of it. But, I still showed him how.” She sighs. “So, are you going to let Vantas show you up?”

“No!” You snort. “Okay Lalonde, how does this work?” You huff, closing your eyes.

“Interesting, I actually got you to do it.” Your eyes snap open to find her smirking. “You don’t have to close your eyes.” You glare at her as she shifts so she is sitting beside you, knee bumping your own. You’ve never really been this close to her, her nose is slightly upturned, her purple eyes framed by black lashes that you suspect have been adjusted with makeup, and her lips are also covered with black. “Now, you can do this anywhere but I don’t suggest doing it often or for long amounts of time. It works better in the dark, too.” She explains setting the bowl before you.

“More of this water? What’s the deal with it?”

“The same deal as our new blood color.” She replies calmly. “Now,” she murmurs, slipping her little stick of leaves into your own hand. “You just have to focus.”

You snort. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is stupid.”

“You sound just like Karkat…” She sighs making you scowl. “I’m sure your surprise will be just as amusing.”

“Whatever Lalonde,” you huff, looking down at the bowl before you. “So, if this dooooooooes work… do I need to just get a bowl and some stick?”

She rolls her eyes, ordering you to do as instructed before standing. You grumble but do what she told you to despite still being wary. She goes back to her desk and you’re left sitting in the middle of the floor like an idiot. You’re about to give up when an image begins to form in the water. You lean over it, your shadow, sure enough, making it clearer. “It works!” You yelp without thinking and immediately regret it.

“Shocking, the Seer knows how to do her job.” You glare weakly at Rose but she only smirks.

“How do I talk to them?” You growl.

“You just speak.”

“God! This is stupid! I could’ve done this myself!” You cry standing.

“Mm-hmm…” She hums, not even looking up.

Some days you really hate Rose Lalonde.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Thank you for your feedback and kudos and all of those lovely things. Here's the last chapter. To this part. I plan on writing another much much shorter one from Rose's P.O.V. if anyone is interested. Anyway... Here's chapter two. This turned out longer than I wanted good lord.
> 
> I'm apologizing now for the amount of fluffy nonsense and all of the weird references.

When you get back to your place John is moving around the kitchen, blue eyes still glazed over with sleep and black hair even messier than Karkat’s. He smiles at you, waking up a bit more in your presence. “Good morning Vriska! Want some eggs?” He’s trying to cook you realize, scrambled eggs to be exact, but he’s left out the container so you may have some the way you like. He’s the best.

“Thanks John,” you say smiling back. You gather up a couple of eggs before hopping up onto the counter. “Soooooooo…” You purr, reaching out to cup his cheek with your free hand, guiding him to look at you. He blinks up at you as you lean in, lips brushing along his jaw and then his ear. His skin is hot and soft, nothing like Tavros’ or any other Troll, you’re sure. He stutters something; stiffening and skin growing hotter against your own that’s icy in comparison, but you ignore it. “Blush for me.” You murmur though you know he already is.

You pull back to find him looking up at you, eyes wide and cheeks flushed gold. You frown; everyone’s the same now. “Uh… Vriska?” He murmurs uncertainly.

Your first kiss with John Egbert is a chaste little thing that only lasts seconds but it leaves him smiling for the rest of the day. It’s soft; just rough, warm, skin that’s splitting apart pressing against your own, smooth and icy. It’s not like the kisses in the movies; it’s not a desperate, open-mouthed, thing that ends with you both staring at each other with sparkling eyes and declarations of love being thrown about. It’s simple and sweet. You think you like it that way. It’s not like your first kiss with Eridan, fueled by an anger you had struggled to conjure up, or like the kiss with Tavros, that time anger had come all too easily.

It doesn’t surprise you that you were the first to initiate it. But at the same time it does. You weren’t planning on doing it, you weren’t setting out to kiss him and really this isn’t the best of times. The eggs are still clutched in your one hand, John’s still holding his silly spatula, and you have to lean down while he stretches up for your lips to meet. It surprises you, too, that he responded, leaning up to meet you half way. But you’re glad he did. It’s much better than the alternative.

He pulls away blushing but there’s still a grin on his face. You grin back, hesitantly, but you hope he can’t tell how nervous you are yourself. He goes back to cooking and you pick at your eggs, but the silence that falls over the room, occasionally broken by a giddy laugh from John, is surprisingly comfortable. John does not stop smiling. You try not to blush every time your hands brush and fail miserably. That afternoon when he leaves to go hang out with the human Dave he stands on your doorstep stuttering and blushing gold till you give him another kiss. Then he shuts up and just grins at you stupidly before leaving.

You don’t know if this makes you Matesprits or dating or whatever it is humans call it. You’re tempted to call Davesprite to talk to him about it like an excited little girl but at the same time you’re anxious to build your army of pawns. You decide that locking yourself away in your room with a bowl full of sink water and some branch that looks close enough to Rose’s is the best choice.

You see a lot of things you don’t want to. You see Karkat’s people again, sacrificing so many of their own in his name and then painting his sign on their chests with the dead’s blood. It’s nasty and a bit disturbing, and that’s saying a lot coming from you, the girl who watched her lusus wrap up the dead bodies of her own kind for years. Maybe that’s exactly why you find it so disturbing. Rose’s people, at least, you suspect they are Rose’s, are all very intelligent. They don’t dress oddly, they have very simple shrines and prayers, their buildings are simple, too, but growing quickly. You guess it’s nice. You don’t pay much attention to any other civilizations you come across, most are simple and barbaric and _boring_ , and all around the same level when it comes to development.

Lalonde’s is farther along and you’re going to have a hard time catching up but Karkat’s is lagging behind for the most part, you think. Well, maybe not. They have some strange language that’s like Alternian just slurred and mispronounced, they’ve built some wicked buildings, and they seem pretty good with math. When it comes down to it they’re barbaric and cold though. So maybe you’re going to have to go back farther.

That’s when you find her, the girl you saw the first day, the one bearing your sign. At least, you think that’s what she could become.

She lives in one of the more developed towns but doesn’t have any home herself. She’s skinny and bony, her ribs stick out and her face is gaunt, but she could be beautiful. She’s a survivor, if she wasn’t she would be dead by now and her eyes wouldn’t shine the way they do. She steals from the open stores that line the streets and picks scraps from their waste bins when it turns dark. She has gathered together all of the children who curl up in the alleyways or beg out on the streets. She had taught them who to target and where, whether it be begging or stealing.

The smallest and the quickest are ordered to pickpocket and snatch fruits from stalls when the owner has turned his back while the most pitiful go out to pull at the legs of the rich, looking up at them with such sadness that they must give in. She has talked them into banding together and bringing their turn out to her in the building on the far side of the town.

It’s old and abandoned, falling apart on the inside and out, surely not stable but it is a safe haven, there they are free to do as they wish.

Slowly the scrawny sixteen year old abandoned by her mother and father, a girl, they do not need a girl, blossoms into a beautiful young woman, sleek and sharp on the inside and out. Her army has grown and her home of ruins now avoided like the plague, a reputation that has been earned.

As she becomes bolder you become more amused. She slips into a fabric store filled with silky things fit for royalty and one of her boys follow, a tiny little thing eager to please and wreak havoc. He darts in after she’s wandered towards the back, fingers trailing against the rolls of colorful fabric, all soft and expensive. The owner looks away from her just in time to catch the boy snatching up a brilliant blue silk that has been carefully folded on one of the dark wooden tables at the door.

It’s a brilliant cerulean, just like your blood when you were mortal, and the edges sparkle with gold. It makes his icy blue eyes shine even more, shockingly light against dark skin layered with dirt.

The owner cries out and an impish grin overtakes the boy’s face. He’s out of the room as quickly as he came and the owner scrambles after him, other concerns, like the suspicious poor woman in the back, momentarily forgotten.

Your lips pull into a grin, pleased with the woman and her subjects. She’s brilliant and wicked in the best of ways. She knows it too, you can see it in her face as she loads herself down with rich fabrics of purples, golds, reds, and, most importantly, blues.

And then she’s gone.

The shopkeeper doesn’t even notice; he spends the rest of the day grumbling angrily over the loss of his single cerulean silk.

Your star sells most of the fabric and makes a good amount of money. The boy is allowed to keep his prize and she keeps one of a darker shade for herself. She’s beginning to look more like the woman she’s going to become already. You’re going to make sure this woman has the right to bear your sign; you expect nothing less than the best.

“Nefertari…” You murmur curiously and can’t help but be delighted when her head jerks to the side, eyes narrowing as she searches for you in the dark. This is going to be so much fun. “Oh no, you cant see me…” You say as seriously as possible, trying not to giggle. “I’m your goddess.”

At first she doesn’t believe you. She’s paranoid for the next few days, staying inside while her little children perform her dirty work. But that doesn’t keep her from you. Finally you get her to believe you. Only through helping her, of course, but you wouldn’t accept anything less from her, really. You tell her to send her little boy, Meryatum or something, their language is really too complicated for you to remember, to steal from a certain store, promising that he will be fine. He’s obviously her favorite, the little one who still ties the faded blue scarf around his head and at first she’s reluctant to comply. She gives in eventually.

You haven’t attempted to talk to anyone else yet but it’s surprisingly easy, all you have to do is convince the shopkeeper to look away for a few moments, fill his ears with whispers, and the boy easily sneaks past him to load himself down with fruits and herbs.

When he returns to her she’s obviously relieved but still shocked. She listens to you after that.

You don’t stop whispering to her, guiding her along, until Davesprite shows up and drags you away. You aren’t sure how long you’ve been talking to her, it’s been a month in her time though, and you don’t really care. Davesprite scolds you and feeds you, oranges and eggs because those are pretty much the only things you keep in stock besides mint chocolate chip ice cream, popcorn, and sometimes a bottle of apple juice just for him. While you eat he goes on a little rant about being a giant gaming geek or something and taking this to extreme godly levels or whatever. You ignore him; you really don’t care.

You show him Nefertari and he just gives you this exasperated look that could rival Karkat’s. “Vriska.”

“Yeeeeeeees?”

“You did not listen to a word I said.”

“Nope!” You chirp, grinning at him.

He sighs, dragging you away again. He forces you to stay in the living room and watch some of his stupid movies that he likes just because he can make fun of it. You would have gotten up again but it’s kind of hard when you have him wrapped around you.

“Oh,” you say thoughtfully, finally remembering the thing you were going to tell him.

“Oh?”

“Me and John kissed.” You explain and he pushes himself up to look at you, brows raised above his golden shades. “Twice.” You decide to add.

“And you’re just now telling me this? I’m hurt. I thought I was your BFF, your go to gal. I bet you already told Kanaya, didn’t you?” He gasps and you punch his arm weakly.

“Shut up! You’re the first person I’ve told! Like I would actually go to Maryaaaaaaaam!” You scoff, rolling your eyes.

“So… you two are finally dating then? Wow, I feel so gay, I don’t think you understand.”

“Dave!”

“Sorry, sorry, tell me all your problems, later I can do your nails, I expect some Mani-Pedi action too now, deal? I mean, despite not having any feet to Pedi-”

“Daaaaaaaave!”

“Okay, okay, I’m really done now.”

You huff, pulling him down once more. “Okay soooooooo… Like, we were in the kitchen.”

“Right.”

“And he was cooking.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Shoosh let me finish.” You grumble, paping his cheek. “So, we were in the kitchen, he was cooking, and I told him to blush because, you know, I was curious if his blood was gold too. Rose’s is so I wasn’t surprised when he blushed and his blood was gold and crap. But then… I just… leaned down and he stepped forward… so… we kissed.”

“Wow, you’re acting like a cute little school girl with her first crush. What is this? You aren’t Vriska Serket, you aren’t the crazy killer who takes what she wants.” He teases but it still gets under your skin. Because he’s right.

“Because taking what I want has gotten me so far…” You hiss.

He falls silent once more, stroking your back and kissing your forehead, an apology. “Okay, so, John and you-“

“I don’t know…” You grumble, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

“Hey, he likes you. He’s… weird and horrible with girls but he likes you.” Davesprite assures making you snort. “You just have to be the one to initiate these things.”

“Yes, thank you for your expertise Mr. Strideeeeeeeer. I _really_ need your help with boys.”

“Girl, I am the Master when it comes to boys. It is me.” He scoffs and you can’t help but giggle.

“Nope, I am the Master. I have everything under control. All of these irons in the fire are being handled.” You reply, crossing your arms. “John is fine and Nefertari is on her way.”

He rolls his eyes but settles down once more.

The next morning you go right back to Nefertari to find that she’s been busy in your absence. This girl has proven herself; if you wanted a descendent it would be her. She’s turned into a woman and her eyes are sharp, her skin dark, and her cheekbones high. It strikes you that maybe she doesn’t look so much like the woman you first saw like you thought but that is quickly brushed off. She’s become the lover of a handsome man with golden eyes and dark skin, he’s not as powerful as you would like him to be, she could do better in that field, really, but he’s beautiful and strong. He’s noble; he aids the person who has taken the throne. He’s intelligent and brilliant, clueless to her past.

That’s when you grow curious, how did she get to this point? How did she grow from her little empire of beggars to being a noble woman in her kingdom of fools?

You do not doubt that she reached this point easily and quickly; you had been pressing her to for quite some time now. What surprises you is that she was able to give up the silly notion that the children she used actually needed her. If she left her little boy would probably take over, continue leading them forward. They would be fine without her. Besides, she couldn’t remain among the young forever; there is no such thing as Neverland. They would soon question her like they do all adults, no longer looking up to her as an older sibling but as a parent, demanding and annoying, something that holds you down. She would be overthrown.

It’s a good move to detach herself. The only problem is that she’s obviously in love with this man; it’s not just lust or greed that prompted her to be with him. She’s become attached again.

You go back through what has happened while you were gone. It seems like years to her are only a few hours to you. Perhaps she no longer thinks you’re real. You’ll have to whisper to her again.

You pause your little review of her past few years when you catch a glimpse of glassy blue being covered by silk.

The boy, his death was the turning point. He was taken from her by an unnamed disease that made him pale and scrawny, that drained the life from those blue eyes, it took others too but you know his death was the one that meant the most. You’re almost a little disappointed yourself; you had high hopes for the boy.

After that she left, just disappeared leaving them a good amount of money and supplies. She took all of their jewels and clothing though, made herself look presentable so she could catch her new lover’s eye.

You whisper to her about gaining more power, tell her she could do better, tell her that if he was gone she could continue up. But this doesn’t have the desired effect. She looks horrified; screams for the voices to leave her head. You withdraw and watch, disappointed with her for the first time. You have to wait for her new child to grow into someone you can take under your wing just like you did with her mother.

Perhaps Nefertari isn’t the one you saw that first day.

You start to take notice of the other empires when Eridan’s tries to attack.

They’re sea trolls, all of them, and their blood, surprisingly, is all bright pinks and dark violets. On Alternia there was a very small and very elite group of trolls with blood like this, certainly not enough to make up an army. But that’s not what you’re worried about, not right now.

The first person to catch your eye is the head general; for a human he’s strong and very attractive, thick with muscle and eyes a deep blue, like most of your people. His name is Menes and he’s absolutely gorgeous, you could drool over this boy all day. You think your heart almost stops the first time you see him take out a troll with only a bow and arrow. If you and John don’t work out you’ll know where to go, no doubt.

You whisper to him telling him of all of the glory and honor he deserves and can get if he listens to you, after he’s off the battlefield, trying to help care for the wounded but they’re of no use, he should learn that right away. But you know how humans are so you keep that thought to yourself, at least for now.

Your people, all of your people, are very superstitious. Whispering to this man that you are his god is easy and he is immediately convinced. He follows your orders but not blindly, he reasons with you when he sees a problem, perhaps a hole in your master plan or even a better way, something you find impressive. He quickly rises to the top and soon has more followers than the king.

Your people are fantastic.

Your next move is to go to Eridan.

“What?” He deadpans, stumbling over the word like usual in his little warble. He’s got his scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, high enough to hide most of his fluttery gills and his chin. It’s late, dark out and the wind is blowing, no doubt he’s uncomfortable. You are too, you’re regretting not putting on some actual pants instead of the pair of shorts borrowed from Jade.

“Your people are attacking mine!” You bark, baring your fangs and he does the same.

“How are you so sure they’re mine?” He snaps back in that whiney way of his. Perhaps all of your hatred for him was not forced.

“Oh, I don’t knoooooooow…” You gasp with as much snark and sarcasm as possible. “Maybe it’s all of the golden statues of you they have in their little underwater city!”

“Oh,” he says, suddenly bored once more. “Those aren’t mine.”

“What do you mean they aren’t yours?” You cry, fists clenching as you lean forward. Stupid violet-blood. Why does he have to be so tall?

“They didn’t like how things were being run so they left.”

You bark out a laugh in response. “Yeah riiiiiiiight! They’re attacking my people for you!”

He rolls his eyes behind his silly little glasses, pulling farther into his scarf and crossing his arms. “No, I assure you they are not. Those are the _peasants_.” He explains with a scowl, the word spat out as if it tasted fowl.

“’ _Peasants_ ’?” You echo, brow furrowing. “Liaaaaaaaar! Their blood has been painting my streets, you know, my people being more badass than yours and all, so I should know!”

He pinches the ridge of his nose, grumbling like he’s trying to deal with a small child. “Yes, I kept the caste system exactly the same. That makes complete sense, their god being a _violet_ blood and all.”

“What?”

“The caste system isn’t the same! My caste is at the very top! Not Fef’s!” He cries like it is so very obvious and you’re tempted to smack him. But that would be giving him the wrong idea and no way in hell are you going to go through that right now.

“Yes, I should have guessed!” Truthfully you are a bit surprised, you figured Eridan would want to keep things the way they were, not switch things up even if it did mean he would be on top. Perhaps he had no choice; they could have decided such things amongst themselves.

You wonder if that’s how it happened with your own.

“Are we done here?” He hisses back, reaching to close the door.

“If we’re still allies you better get your people under control, Ampora.” You huff before turning to leave. He doesn’t respond.

You have his people almost completely crushed by the time more come in. But these wear gold and have weapons more advanced than the first and, most importantly, they bare Eridan’s sign. They fight with tridents, all gold and jewels, more for looks than anything else. It’s so typical of him it’s not even amusing.

At first there is a misunderstanding but you assure Menes, your perfect follower who does without asking, that they are good. He speaks with Proteus, Eridan’s general and king, and once the small issue of confusing accents and twisted words has been solved they seem to become good friends. The last of the rebels are beaten into submission with ease and your people have a strong ally who offers both power and protection as well as new items for trade and curious creations.

Menes rises to power, much to your pleasure, but Proteus falls. He was too volatile of a ruler, cruel in some ways and kind in others, good but still corrupt. Triton, another violet blood, talented and popular in the army, takes his spot at the top. This places your kingdom in a bad position. Your ties are wavering; your humans are too different from Eridan’s trolls.

You’re impressed when Menes suggests it before you. Very impressed. You know how humans are, they believe in love and whatnot even though your men marry many and have even more lovers on top of that; they simply don’t make sense. He has recognized what he must do and he knows he must do it. He knows he has no choice and he does not care, no, he seems eager.

You chose well.

So you go to Eridan once more.

“Oh for cod’s sake Vris! What do you want now?” He grumbles, Feferi on his back, legs around his waist, arms around his neck, and chin resting atop his head. She gazes down at you curiously after your usual little greetings.

“Someone powerful in your kingdom that can be married off to Menes.” You reply quickly.

“What?” She asks, pout coming to her lips.

“Nofin Fef, don’t worry about it.” He grumbles but there’s a shine to his eyes that you recognize. He’s interested. “Menes, your king?”

“Something like that, he’s got aaaaaaaall of the power so it’s close enough.” You’re eager to get this done, then your civilization will be shooting ahead once more.

Eridan grunts in response, adjusting Feferi on his back and blowing a strand of hair from his face before continuing on. “Fine, there’s a gill.”

“ _Girl_ Eridan, stop with the puns for eight seconds man.” You snap and he grumbles in response but doesn’t object.

“There’s a _girl_ , little miss hypocrite.” He growls. “Her name’s Eidothea. She’s powerful enough an’ has got a reasonable followin’. An’ she’s a pretty little thing.” He adds thoughtfully, cheeks turning violet. Feferi giggles in delight, teasing him about it, but you don’t stick around to hear much more.

It turns out that when Eridan says “pretty little thing” he means a little fuchsia blood that looks like she could be Feferi’s ancestor and-or descendent.

You give her name to Menes and trust that he will be able to take care of himself. You have other things you need to deal with.

You haven’t seen John in a while and after the other day it’s making you nervous. You didn’t screw up right? He wanted to kiss you a second time so it must not have been horrible or something. Right?

It doesn’t help that when you get to John’s cabin he’s doubled over a bowl watching some pretty girl swim in a river.

“Oh my god, does she even have clothes on?” You gasp and he just about jumps out of his skin, bowl knocked to the side.

“V-Vriska!” He chokes out, cheeks golden and blue eyes horribly wide. “What are you doing here?” He manages to get out between awkward laughs that are so forced it’s painful.

“John,” you huff, crossing your arms and narrowing your eyes. “Why are you watching some pretty girl bathe herself?”

“Oh my gosh, no, no! It’s not like that at all!” He says hurriedly.

“John, it really looks like that.” You say and your voice is flat, thankfully. Because it kind of hurts to think of him wanting to look at another girl like that; you don’t know how your women do it.

“No! She’s like, oh god, she’s like my priestess or something? And like, she was performing a sacrifice and wow, it was super creepy! But then before I knew it she was…” He laughs nervously, blush growing.

You’re the only one who should be allowed to cause that blush.

“Whatever you say John…” You sigh but you’re growing eager to change the subject. “C’mon, we should watch a movie.” You tell him but it’s a demand more than anything.

Once your snuggled together on the couch, his arm around your shoulders and your head on his chest, you can’t focus on what your watching, Thirteen Ghosts and the first few minutes of blood and gore, all you can think about is the fact that John was watching that girl.

The warmth of John by your side does nothing to the icy feeling growing in your chest, the little spasms of pain. How could any woman bare to have her Matesprit want another? It feels like ice and pain and hate, so much hate. It’s even worse than Rose, you think. He never spied on her like that. Well, you don’t think. God, this is stupid and you feel so weak. You are putty in this boy’s hands, like the wind, you bend to his will. It’s not okay. You are strong and fierce; no man should have this much power over you.

When you leave he can tell you’re still mad; he tries to apologize but you brush it off, leaving with only a cold farewell.

Needless to say, as soon as you get the chance she’s assassinated.

Maybe that’s putting it a bit dramatically. Menes has been married to Eidothea; everything has once again been stabilized. This means you can easily spare a few lives, spread your army out a bit. But it mustn’t be obvious that her death is your only objective, then John might realize and you don’t want that. So you’re forced to wait. Taking her out so soon would be foolish.

You suppose it’s a bit hypocritical of you, not long ago you were drooling over Menes. But then again, you never watched him bathe.

You’re tempted to tell Menes your problems but it’s a ridiculous thought. You’ve grown so used to speaking with him and you haven’t even noticed until now. It’s strange for you to trust him the way you do, you’ve never even met him in person, he’s in none of your quadrants and your feelings for him are nothing more than a childish flush-crush. He’s not your actual descendent of course but he feels like he could be, perhaps that’s why.

You go to Davesprite instead, like you should, but Jade is already with him, holding him close as he shakes and whimpers in his little nest. When she sees you, you can see her indecision; she seems uncomfortable, as if she has been caught and doesn’t belong here, but if Davesprite needs his Matesprit you understand, it is you who does not have a place here. You duck your head, taking a step back, but Davesprite’s sense are better than the other humans’, he catches you. You start to apologize, the awkward words getting caught in your throat like usual, and Davesprite easily orders you to shut up and he takes you in eagerly, holding you both and murmuring to you about his nightmares.

You realize it’s not all that different from your selfish desire to keep John and him all to yourself; he just needs this, unlike you. Davesprite has plenty of issues. You know he doesn’t really mind being part bird, when it’s shoved in his face and treated as if it were a disability he does. He was prepared to die, he knew he was meant to and it’s a complete accident, simply his luck, that he is still here. You think that does bother him. That his life is not meant to be, just an accident, that upsets him and really, no one can blame him. The fact that he is not _the_ Dave is something he can’t let go of, the fact that he could have done more, in his opinion, will always haunt him, and then, of course, watching his lusus die twice.

You all have nightmares, it’s not abnormal to walk in on anyone shaking and wide eyed or to even hear one of Gamzee’s screams despite the sopor that sedates him and the distance separating you. It has become more than necessary for you all to find someone who will support you, a Matesprit or even a Moirail. You have Davesprite and John while they both have you and Jade. An entire web has formed between all of you, something that can’t be called romantic, no, you were afraid it was that human disease friendship but then you realized it’s something much worse, something that runs deeper. And it frightens you.

On more than one occasion you’ve found yourself in an awkward situation with Eridan sleeping on your couch and then slipping away once more in the morning, sulking or trying to keep his pride. Once even Kanaya showed up though she really needs no sleep. At least, you don’t think so. You don’t know.

You are more than happy to sandwich Davesprite between the two of you, the two people he trusts the most, and help him feel safe once more. You shift so you’re behind him and pull him back so he can lean against you. Jade shifts with you, giving you a smile that you think is appreciative. Davesprite’s hand finds yours, knocking his head into your own when he gives you a fleeting, awkward, little kiss on the cheek. Showing affection towards you around Jade always makes him uncomfortable but you suppose he feels he should show you some sort of reciprocation for trying to help him. You smile at him, giving his hand a squeeze, and he leans back against you, looking back to Jade. You press kisses to his head, stroking his hair and his feathers while Jade brushes kisses along his brow and holds his hand.

It doesn’t take long for the words to come tumbling out, shaky little breaths stopping him every now and then. He’s been dreaming of his brother again. Crimson pooling on the ground and the mask of the man who raised him stiffening even farther, becoming permanent, never again going to grow cocky with a smirk or show any amount of warmth he ever did release. He’s been reliving the days without his best friend and the girl he loves, fighting with the decision to leave his ex-Moirail behind over and over again, watching himself die more times than he can count. He’s been dreaming of you both, the two he trusts the most and has turned to in his time of need, being taken from him.

You both hush him, promising him everything is fine and that you are still here with more little kisses and squeezes of his hand. He finally quiets and his breaths grow slow and deep; he falls asleep once more but is not awakened by horrors.

“Thank you…” Jade murmurs softly so he won’t be roused, tanned fingers dancing across golden skin to find the grey of your own. She smiles brightly at you and you find yourself smiling back, your free hand tangling with her own on Dave’s stomach.

You lean your head against his and Jade has already tucked herself into the crook of his neck, legs tangling with his tail under the sheets. “Is this normal?” You ask, keeping your voice low but now he’s starting to snore softly and you know you have nothing to worry about.

Jade hums thoughtfully, taking a moment to answer. “No, not really. From what he’s told me you’re like… a sister to him. Do you understand that concept or…?”

“Like your equivalent of a Moirail, yeah, he’s told me about it.”

“Right!” She chirps and immediately shrinks back with a little squeak. You snicker at her, fighting to keep your voice down yourself, and she’s soon grinning at you once more. “So, in our culture, I’m pretty sure it’s kind of weird to be so close to your sister! But I didn’t really have anyone around growing up; if I had a sister I’m pretty sure I would have wanted to be as close to them as possible! Like I am with John now, we cuddle all the time. And Rose too, Rose is like a big sister and the other Dave, as weird as it may sound, is like a big brother. John says it’s weird to be all cuddly buuut, it’s nice having someone there when…” She trails off with a little sigh.

“The nightmares.” You finish dryly, running a hand through Davesprite’s feathers once more, earning a soft little noise close to a chirp. “I’m beginning to think he may be the most screwed up of the bunch.”

“Yeah… both of the Dave’s…” She murmurs, picking at some of his feathers herself. “Eridan and Sollux both seem pretty…”

“Eridan has no friends, Sollux’s brain is at war, you get the idea…”

Jade pouts at the golden feather she holds in her hand, green eyes trained on it as it sparkles in the fading light. “I thought you and Eridan were friends…”

“He’s my ex-Kismesis,” you reply stiffly.

“Oh, uh, I didn’t mean to offend you or something!” Sometimes she really reminds you of John, not just with how she looks so similar to him without looking like him at all, she sometimes wrinkles her nose the same way and says similar things.

“It’s fine,” you reply. “Just surprised you thought me and Hipster-Fish were friends or something.”

“But, I mean, I just figured that we all are? After the game and everything… I mean, I’ve never really talked to Eridan much but I’m sure he’s not as bad as everyone seems to think he is! And I’m sure Gamzee isn’t as crazy as everybody claims!”

“That’s because he’s stoned,” you deadpan.

“Still!” She giggles, muffling the noise in Dave’s ruff of feathers. “Vriska,” she says, suddenly somber and gazing up at you with too-big green eyes. “Some people told me you weren’t the nicest…”

“The other Dave? Terezi? Aradia? Nepeta?” You inquire but she bats at your hand with a huff.

“I’m not telling you that! The point is that they were wrong! So I’m sure you’re wrong about Gamzee and Eridan and stuff. Even if you did… hate… love Eridan before, I wouldn’t think that that would matter. Everyone else is fine now.”

You don’t respond.

It doesn’t take long for the two of you to nod off and you aren’t awoken until you feel something messing with your hand. You crack your eyes open to find that it’s now dark and Davesprite has awakened once more, carefully running a clawed thumb over your hand that is still twined with Jade’s on his stomach.

“She’s sweet,” you murmur groggily and the only sign that he is surprised is the sudden flutter of his wing against you.

“I know…” He replies. He sounds small and lost, uncertain. You know this voice, it comes whenever he begins to question his right to have her, something that he believes should belong to the other Dave.

“She loves you so much Davesprite,” you continue, recognizing the need to use the title that belongs to him and him alone. “She would do anything for you…” You add, wriggling your arm around him from its place captured between the two of you.

“I know…”

“And you would do anything for her, you two are perfect.” You finish, pressing a kiss to his hair.

He bats at you, the sign that he does not need anymore coddling. “Yeah but I’ve been such a moody ass to her, not even the hot vampire sort of moody-“

“’Hot vampire sort of moody’? No moody is hot Davesprite. Don’t listen to Kanaya’s stupid books and Karkat’s even stupider movies.” You huff and he snorts softly.

“I don’t…”

“I swear to god if you say you don’t deserve her I’ll smack you.” You say a little louder than you should and Jade shifts about with a soft little grumble.

“Wow, can you please refrain from waking up the entire island? That’d be nice, great, thanks.” Davesprite huffs.

You’re tempted to pinch him but you restrain yourself. “Not my fault you’re being stupid.”

He quiets, pressing his face into her nest of black hair. “Why’d you come over? Not that I’m complaining or anything, just doubt your Moirail-Senses were tingling or some bullshit like that. Unless aliens really do have some sixth sense dealing with Moirails, then I’m so sorry for being a culturally insensitive ass.” He grumbles.

“Moooooooody…” You hum but don’t mean it, not really. “John was watching one of the humans bathing.”

He stares at you for the longest moment with those golden eyes of his before grinning. “Oh really now?”

“I don’t see how this is a time to be happy…” You growl and the shit-eating grin is gone once more.

“Right, right, just thinking of innocent little John being a godly Peeping Tom.” He replies. “So he was spying on some chick taking a bath? So what? Not like he can actually meet her or some shit.”

“Is spying on pretty women bathing some norm for humans?” You hiss back.

He snickers in response and you swear to god sometimes you hate this boy as much as you hate the other Dave. “Not exactly… but the point is it’s not that big of a deal Vriska. Just make him pay, that’s what you’re good at, right?”

You blink owlishly at him. _Make him pay_? You may like the sounds of that a little too much.

John is in the main cabin talking with Dave and Terezi, who is cackling madly, like usual. Davesprite snorts and you pinch him again, making him grumble before you’re winding your arms around him and giggling, a sound so fake you almost want to smack yourself.  “I don’t think you understand how stupid this is.” You hiss to him and he snorts.

“Nah, I’m feeling pretty stupid right about now.”

“So stupid.”

“All of the stupid.”

You scoff at him. “Don’t even say that about such a thing.”

“But darling Moirail whom I pity so dearly and want to pamper and mother over,” he gasps. “Would you not agree that this situation has aaaaaaaall of the stupid?”

“Don’t use up all of your sarcasm, save some for later.” You huff back. “ _Darling_.”

“Aren’t you so sweet? Concerned about my reserves of sarcasm. I have enough of that shit stockpiled to last me through a zombie apocalypse. I’m like one of those nuts convinced that any day now the world will end.” He replies calmly.

“Guess they were right.” You point out.

“Yeah, guess they were…” He murmurs after a moment. “Not that it helped any, right?”

Suddenly you both are somber once more and the true stupidity of this sinks in. “What the hell are we doing?” You snap and he laughs pulling back out of your grasp.

“You were making him pay, remember?” He responds with another chuckle.

You grin wickedly, standing on your tiptoes and leaning against him so you may reach his ear. You make sure to run your hands up his chest and into the fluff around his neck, dragging your lips along his jaw the way you did John. “Would Jade shoot me if I kissed you?” You murmur in his ear.

“This is creeping me out on so many levels. All of the levels Vriska, you are freaking me out on all of the levels.” He replies and underneath the cold, even, tone of his voice there is a twinge of discomfort that only you can catch.

You pull away with a bark of a laugh and grin at him. “Thank you _darling_ , I believe I have been successful when it comes to operation ‘Make Him Pay’.”

“Do I get a code name? Can I be Golden Eagle? Not like Charley Parker, I ain’t from Thangar or some shit.”

“Dave, I have no clue what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Pretty sure I just fucked up a DC reference.” He responds making you stare at him. “You know… the comics? Okay, whatever, I still want to be the Golden Eagle.”

“Yes Agent Golden Eagle, thank you for your cooperation.” You chirp.

“Sweet. See ya’ later Serket.” He replies easily and slips away once more.

You’re very pleased to find John staring at you when you turn back around. You grin at him and he smiles nervously back as you bound over. “Hey Joooooooohn…” Your voice is sugar sweet, suffocating and annoying to your own ears, but it’s better than the alternative. You are still frustrated, still angry that he would kiss you then turn his eyes on another.

“Hi Vriska!”

“Dude, you were just feeling up my other self. Do you know how creepy that shit is?” Dave demands as soon as you’ve come up. He’s not your Strider but you can still catch that bit of discomfort; they have the same habits and patterns. Maybe you don’t blame him for being disturbed.

“Daaaaaaaave, it’s not that big of a deal! He is my Moirail.” You reply leaning against John and gripping his arm. He scrambles to find your hand, and gives it a nervous squeeze. You wonder what that means.

Terezi scowls but remains quiet, letting Dave continue on. “You totally felt my other self up.”

“Yes, I do believe that’s a thing I did.”

“Twisted version of Moirallegiance you’ve got there.” Terezi murmurs, making you narrow your eyes.

“Someone needs to learn to keep their nose out of other people’s business…”

“Okay! I’ll talk to you later Dave! Bye Terezi!” John says way too loudly and steers you away. “Gosh Vriska, what has gotten into you?” He grumbles, partially to himself, it seems.

“I don’t know John…” You purr back, all too pleased with yourself.

Now to make the girl pay properly.

Menes attacks John’s people for you, making sure the woman is dead and not asking any questions about why. His people are becoming stronger; they’ve become allies with another nation on their own. It could be called an empire, taking over kingdoms weaker than their own and forming ties with those too strong. Even better, it’s close to John’s people too. An entire sea separates your kingdom from his while this new ally’s territory wraps around it. Their land is more arid, their kingdom fueled by gold, a great king, and freedom of religion. An oddity in your mind. You don’t understand how that is necessary but it seems it is, the humans and all of their little beliefs. So, together, Menes and their king, Cyrus, invade John’s kingdom.

You’re surprised when it doesn’t fall easily. His people fight back with a fury that impresses you; they are not as great and mighty as you but then Rose’s people aid them as well and it seems that neither of you will be falling with ease. Rose’s people are all pale and blond while the rest, yours, John’s, and your ally’s are all dark skinned and dark haired. They are talented with traps and plans and they have technology that you are not familiar with. But this is where omniscience comes in handy. You follow their plans even more than you do Menes’.

The war lasts for a year, two years, and eventually three to the humans. Finally a girl rises the ranks of your military, a girl named Arachne who challenges all others and, much to your delight, is as brilliant with her tricks as Rose’s people. She dares to openly challenge them and that is, sadly, both of your downfalls.

Your bowl is kicked away, water spilling across the marble of your floors. “Hey!”

“Ms. Serket, why are your people attacking my own? Oh, and your Arachne girl has paid for her pride, just like her namesake. I hope you are happy.” You have little Rose Lalonde towering over you, purple eyes narrowed and sharp. “Please explain why you would make such a foolish move. Really, I thought you were brighter, my fellow goddess. Thinking that I wouldn’t realize it was you, such an immature thing.”

You sneer up at her, rising to your feet so you are standing over her properly once more. “Ms. Lalonde, tell me why you have to get involved with something that is none of your business?”

“Why are you targeting John’s people?” She demands and for the first time you are slightly afraid of a human. Her voice is sharp and cold like diamond, her eyes stormy but beautiful, her lips, the black of night, twisted into a scowl. Her voice carries like Gamzee’s once did, making you stand a little straighter, a little stiffer. She’s small and dainty, in no way intimidating, but something about her is dangerous. There’s something about her that reminds you of a high blood. But you’ve never been one to bow down to those higher than you, not so easily. She is in no way intimidated by you, not from what you can tell. She’s not backing down either.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” you hiss. “They’re just pawns.”

Her eyes flash dangerously and you barely have enough time to react, to block the strike that would have sent her needle right into your eye. Her wrist is thin and so very breakable in your grip; you find yourself staring Lalonde in the eye, the black of her needle blurry so close to your face. You’re shocked and you’re sure she can tell, your mask not being as strong as the one that runs in her family. Hers does not falter more than her brow furrowing, her lips tightening into a thin line. The air is electric, your senses sharpening once more.

The next strike is blocked without having to even look. It sends a thrill down your spine, being able to fight like this once more, your senses coming to life. The world seems a little brighter. You wonder if this is true Kismesissitude. You’ve been missing this, this beautiful thing, for all this time?

Her wrists, you could snap them in half. Her skin, so pale and smooth and beautiful, you want to turn it black and blue, you want to see it painted with crimson; you want to make this girl feel pain.

And then her mask cracks. Her grip on her weapons falter and they clatter to the floor, the noise breaking the silence and freeing the air of its weight. Her brows are drawn tight and her eyes suddenly not so stormy, just dark. “’Just _pawns’_?” She hisses and her voice quivers with strain. “Vriska, we cannot do this. We cannot become them…” And suddenly the way she has been pressing forwards to attack turns into her slumping, you becoming the only thing holding her up. You don’t know what just happened and you have no clue what she’s talking about. Suddenly she just seems very small and very broken. You think she may cry. You remember how much Davesprite and John love this girl, this tiny, delicate, human girl, and your stomach roils with discomfort, with disgust, at the thought of ever hurting her. “Vriska… You cannot think of them like that.”

“Uh…” Your eyes flit about, suddenly uncomfortable with this situation. You’re confused and uncertain and you feel as if you are doing something wrong on top of the fact that you feel this is a side of her you really shouldn’t be seeing. “Rose, I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“You cannot act like this!” Her anger is back with a vengeance, giving you whiplash. You jerk away from her, tearing your hands from her wrists as if you have just been burned but keeping them up between you, acting as a shield. “Do you know what the horrorterrors thought of us? Do you know how we were only seen as their pawns? What if it were you, what then? What if you were those humans? Do you not remember our darling Doctor Scratch? Do you not remember being a pawn?”

Faced with her fury your mind blanks out on you, leaving you staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“We have _no_ right to be using them to play games; _no_ right.” Her voice is rising once more, ringing loud and clear. “You have wasted three years of their lives on some frivolous thing that should have stayed here, in this world, did you not? What right do you have to do that?”

You feel like a small child being scolded by her Lusus and your first instinct is to shrink back but you realize how stupid this is and stand straight once more, letting your arms fall to your sides. “I’m sorry.” It’s come out before you can think about it and, you’re surprised to say, it feels real. “I’ll withdraw.”

She looks a little shocked. Perhaps she was expecting this to be harder, it doesn’t surprise you. She takes a step back, looking a little embarrassed, maybe even a little dejected. “Yes, I’m sorry for acting the way I have. It’s really very childish of me. So, for that, I apologize.”

You snort, words coming from your mouth before you can stop them. “Yeah, maybe you deserve to act a little more childish sometimes.” She looks alarmed by your words and you find yourself chuckling at her expression. “Loosen up Laloooooooonde!” You insist with a grin, only half forced. You bend down to gather up her needles. They are smooth and cool to the touch despite the way she had been gripping them not long ago. They are like her, you realize with a fraction of amusement, they are sharp, dark, and grim but at the same time they are delicate and small, something you would think could not truly harm, something you could not see as dangerous. In her hands she can use them to create and she can use hem to destroy. You straighten up, offering them to her as if they would confirm the peace between you.

Her eyes don’t leave yours as she lets her hand slide over yours, the needles lying between them. “I do not know why you did what you did, but if it is about John…” She trails off, the way you bristle being answer enough. “You know I have no desire to take him from you, do you not?”

“It has nothing to do with you,” you answer, trying not to snap. “It has nothing t do with him. It’s nothing.”

She doesn’t look convinced. “You should not be starting a war over nothing.”

“It’s complicated.”

She stares you down for a moment more before nodding her head, fingers curling around the needles to take them from your hand. “Thank you, Vriska.”

“Yeah…” You murmur uncertainly, watching as she leaves the room, trailing little footprints of water behind her.

You gather up your bowl and leave the room to get more water, digging through the cabinets till you find a towel before heading back, you dump it on the floor and lazily use it with your foot to mop up all of the water that had been spilled. When you’ve gotten the majority of the floor dry you leave the towel where it is, honestly not caring if it starts to smell nasty, and then climb in bed to curl up around your bowl. The image comes to you quickly; Arachne has fallen, just as Rose said, your men are growing tired of their battle, and, the most shocking event yet, Menes’ wife has given birth. A female of your kind has _given birth_. And, on top of this, with a human.

The little creature the woman holds close, looks at with such love, swathed in a fabric the color of her blood and tucked against her chest so she may drink shocks you. You watch with a sick sort of fascination as the woman croons at her daughter, the odd little creature with a mess of inky black hair, skin the color of the dead, and eyes the shocking blue of her father’s. You realize she has horns, tiny, nubby, little horns even less impressive than Karkat’s. She is a freak of nature but her mother loves her like nothing you’ve ever seen.

It’s not like a Lusus, a Matesprit, or a Moirail. You cannot explain it but in a way you think it’s beautiful, other than that it’s just strange.

This reminds you of your first human, Nefertari, and you go to check up on her and her daughter to find that the child is nothing special. She is being taught to be a proper little wife and her brother has just been born, automatically meaning she will inherit practically nothing. She’ll just be married off to another noble for politics. You are not impressed.

You go back and tell Menes he must pull out, he must get home to his child, and he readily complies, telling you he was about to suggest the same with a lopsided smile that shows how worn he really is. He comes home to his child and looks at her with the same sort of curiosity you did but he holds her close, cradled in one arm while he uses the other to hold his wife, whom, despite being married for other reasons, he still seems to love.

The war settles, neither side truly winning. But you got what you wanted, did you not? The girl that John was fascinated by has fallen and that is all that matters.

You watch this new child grow, as captivated with her as you were when you first saw her. She has teeth as sharp as Eridan’s and they grow in quickly, making it necessary for her to start eating proper food instead of relying on her mother. Her hair grows even faster, falling in pretty little ringlets around her face that’s round with baby fat. Her horns remain small but not orange like they should be, they are like ivory, like human bone. Her mother has taken to giving the child a little wig of thick black braids but then, then she does something that makes you gasp, she makes the child a small pair of horns. They are shiny and golden, smaller than the ones you remember, but made of the same material. This is the girl you saw the first day. This is the girl that will bare your sign.

She’s been brought into the world with ease, she had no struggles, no challenges, and now she is treated like a little princess despite how odd she is. You need to change that. You tell Menes that his child is destined for the throne, that she must be raised to be strong and wicked and brilliant and that she must know sacrifice and pain, not just the safety of her castle. He nods along with that knowing smile of his and tells you he already knows.

He comes to your temple and sits among the others who pray to you, always asking for such silly things that you don’t know how to provide. He’s always looked at oddly for murmuring and smiling to himself but it’s just seen as a little inside joke between the two of you. And there he sits now, surrounded by people doubled over with their heads pressed to the floor, but he sits leaning against the wall, relaxed.

When you asked him why he always sat, doubled over, that way he had opened his eyes, blinking owlishly at the floor, and then explained that sitting up straight is rude to you; you’re in the sky so pressing themselves to the floor shows that they are below you or something. You told him that was nonsense and with a chuckle he rose, moving to instead sit where he does now. The others think he’s a bit off his rocker but he’s still respected as the great king who has brought them into a golden age.

He asks you what he should do and, after a moment of thought, you tell him to take her to the house on the far side of the city, the one that is falling to pieces and remains the home of those children who are poor and pickpocket and steal like they were taught. He looks alarmed, telling you, under his breath, that such a thing would be dangerous. That she is different, special, and they would realize such. You tell him that you have not led him astray yet and you don’t plan on letting that happen now. ‘But why the beggars?’ He asks and the people close enough to hear tilt their heads to the side.

“Look at them!” You laugh. “They think they’re so pure, worshipping the way they believe to be proper and as soon as they hear their king speak something secret they’re trying to listen in.”

He chuckles along but insists to know. So you tell him the story of Nefertari, a name he recognizes, you can tell from the amused look on his face. When you are done he throws his head back and laughs, earning strange and, in some cases, resentful looks from those around him. He tells you he should have known.

Later you find Davesprite again, bringing his payment, apple juice, some of the finest Alternian rock you have to offer and, of course, some of the stupidest because he likes those too, just for another reason, and, finally, some Troll Ben Stiller. Although you think he’s stupid, you’ll deal with it for your Moirail.

He tells you that Troll Nirvana sucks as bad as human Nirvana but he admits that Troll Pink Floyd is just as good as its human version. You tell him that the death of Troll Kurt Cobain was a huge loss to society, “A huge loss Dave! His music was the beeeeeeeest!” He stares at you like you’ve just said that you’re converting to Gamzee’s creepy ass voodoo religion before shaking his head and continuing on.

You watch the movies together and halfway through alchemize some pizza and soda, not Faygo, before curling back up on your couch to snuggle. What Davesprite has to say is way better than these stupid shows and their crap.

You spend the night with him and in the morning curl up in his nest to check on Menes.

He has done as you ordered, his child, Sekhmet, no longer clad in robes of fuchsia and cerulean but tattered rags like the other children. Her golden horns are gone as well as her little wig so that her horns stick out, the little nubs of bone just peeking out of her curls of hair. Her mother isn’t happy, she’s furious and uncertain, the light of her life being put in danger, the threat of it going out too much for her to bear. But little Sekhmet, only reaching her seventh summer, she is overjoyed to be released.

She is bright and eager and you laugh because this girl is about to be crushed, to be shocked by the real world, all of her little fantasies wiped out. But you are very wrong.

Sekhmet creeps into the building, eyes sharp and pointed ears catching every little sound, and when an older boy spots her, a bigger boy who tries to grab her, she snatches up a rock and hits him. You like this girl already.

It’s a testy act, one that can be paid for or one that can be seen as evidence of her potential. She is accepted in begrudgingly, some claiming that she is deformed and useless, others claiming that she must be a demon, but as time goes on she manages to enrapture the boys and makes friends with the girls, touching those much older than her with her radiance.

She isn’t wicked; she isn’t a liar, a manipulator, let alone a thief. She doesn’t understand the concept of dishonesty; she doesn’t understand what a pawn is, she doesn’t understand why anyone would need, let alone want, to steal. So she is put under the wing of an older boy, a bit of an outcast, and he must teach her. She questions everything, partially out of confusion and partially out of curiosity. The boy grows frustrated and, finally, you take pity on him.

You whisper to the girl, telling her you’re her goddess, that she is special, your chosen one. She lights up, asking if you are the one who talks to her father all of the time. You take her under your own wing; you tell her that to be a queen she must be sharp and strong, that to be at the top she must know what it means to be at the bottom. She tells you she understands and she embraces her role in this new world of hers; she learns to steal, she becomes a thief, she learns to deceive, she becomes a liar, and she learns to control, she becomes a manipulator.

She can pickpocket, beg, and those younger, sometimes even older, will listen to her. You tell her that you can’t always save her, but you assure her that you will not let her be killed, not that her father would let that happen either. She promises to be careful and that she will make you proud, and then she adds on some twisted word that comes out tiny and hesitant and you don’t realize what it is until later, when your laying in bed, staring up at your ceiling, unable to sleep. She called you mother.

The next morning you barge into Rose’s library as soon as you think she may be awake. You didn’t sleep at all the night before without the comfort of John or Davesprite and having that one word haunting you on top of your nightmares. The sun is barely up, turning the sky a soft grey and painting the horizon with a golden glow. And she’s not there.

So you curl up on the couch to wait and the next thing you know you’re being awoken via pillow to the head. You jolt, eyes immediately trained on Sollux who has positioned himself between you and a very un-amused Lalonde. Stupid, overprotective Captor. You scoff, sitting up and running a hand through the nest you call hair.

You hear Rose telling him just that and prodding him from the room so she may come sit beside you. “Vriska, is there something wrong?” She asks, purple trained on you out of the corner of her eye.

“Is it possible for us to go to that other planet or some shit?” You demand.

“Is it possible for us to go to the other planet?” She echoes, pulling back to study you openly, blond brows knit together and sharp eyes probing. “Why on earth would you want to do that? No pun intended, but really? Is being the divine force shaping them into what you want not enough for you?”

“Fine, then is there a way to bring a human here?” You ask, growing a bit desperate and you cannot truly explain why.

She doesn’t know how to take your strange behavior, obviously, and she quickly gives up on trying to figure it out by herself. “Vriska, bringing a human here does not sound like a good idea. Besides, I have no clue how we would manage such a thing.”

You groan, wiping roughly at your eyes and clawing through your hair. You’re exhausted and you don’t want to explain, you really don’t, you’re having trouble explaining it to yourself.

“Vriska, have you made a mistake? If that is the case can you not simply go back and fix it?” She asks.

“No, not a mistake…” You mumble, rising to your feet. “It was a stupid question; I shouldn’t have asked. Later Lalonde,” you tell her, heading towards the door.

She calls for you to wait but you ignore her, instead slipping out into the hall. You bump into Sollux and immediately you both are ready to strike, a deep, rumbling, buzz humming in his throat and a low hiss slipping from your own. His teeth are bared as well as your own, his head dipping so he looks like an animal, poised to attack, but you are in no mood for a fight, choosing to shoulder past him and continue on instead.

You are left, mulling over that tiny little word with all of the strings attached, for the rest of the day. Your concentration is broken by a message from Davesprite telling you ‘best be prepared Serket somebody is in for a surprise’. You don’t know what he means and you really can’t bring yourself to care. Not until John comes over, freeing you from your unpleasant reverie, and you are thankful but curious. He’s loud, the door banging shut behind him, and enters the room with a toothy grin on his face but he seems to have a purpose so you wait, watching him as he laughs nervously, eyes flicking to the side, and fingers batting at each other. Finally he gulps, his Adam’s apple that suddenly appeared in the three years you were apart bobbing along. He gets that look in his eyes you recognize as determination and you find yourself waiting with an amused smile.

“Vriska Serket, will you be my Matesprit?” He demands, standing stiffly and blush of gold curling all the way up his neck and into his cheeks.

You grin like a fool. “Do you even know what that meeeeeeeeans John?” You ask with a giggle and he blushes even more.

“Well, duh! It means like… oh gosh…”

“What did Karkat tell you it meant?” You ask, grin growing with the gold.

He looks even more flustered by this and stutters out gibberish until finally calming enough to make a complete sentence. “How did you know I talked to Karkat?”

“Joooooooohn!” You laugh, running a hand through your untamed hair and grinning up at him. “I’m not stupid! You probably asked Dave or Karkat and somehow the other one figured out or Dave was teasing you and said something to Karkat or Karkat was just too loud, whatever. Then Dave tried to tell you to do something stupid and him and Karkat bickered and you were embarrassed so insteeeeeeeead you went to Jade and she told you ‘Geeeez John! Just do it the way that feels right! Man up!’ Because Jade is smart, she has all of the smarts! All of them John! Then Jade told Davesprite and he was enigmatic jerk and sent me some cryptic message. And here you are about to be kissed by a pretty girl.”

He stares at you, dumbstruck, finally getting out a “What?” But you don’t answer; instead you climb off of the couch, slipping up to wind your arms around his neck and to press a kiss to his lips.

“That was a yes, John.” You provide and he grins against your lips before gathering you up in a bear hug and spinning you about. You laugh, burying your face in his hair.

You think you love this boy.

The rest of the afternoon is spent sharing lazy kisses and too high giggles over nothing at all, simply to release some of your bubbly happiness. You both remain curled up on the couch like one being, hands twined and maybe even your tongues, but John is messy and inexperienced and every time his teeth clink against yours you find yourself having to pull back to giggle, making him flush with embarrassment, but you apologize with more kisses, guiding him along until it’s a dance you both know.

Davesprite may or may not get a ‘:::::::;D’ sent to him in response.

You’re awoken by another kiss and a giggle; you don’t mind the title of Princess, in fact, you may be a little too happy with it.

Days pass quickly, filled with bad movies and commentary, weird double dates, more kisses, and the struggle to avoid speaking to your heir without letting your empire fall.

Finally, Rose comes to you once more. This time she does not barge in and there is no bowl to kick away, only a John to distract, and things are smooth. You suddenly have an understanding that you cannot explain and, as he leaves the room, you catch John eyeing you strangely. You ignore it, it can be handled later if he insists, looking to Rose expectantly instead to find her hesitating. “Come on Lalonde, I could be making out with a cute boy right now!” You insist in a pointless effort to hide how anxious you are.

“Vriska…” She begins only to hesitate again. “Tell me why you want to go to our planet.”

“Does it matter?”

“Vriska, do not forget-“

“I know!” You snap, a little too loud, and quickly correct yourself. “I know, Rose. They aren’t pawns. I just want to talk to my…” What is she to you? Really? An heir? The descendent you were never meant to have? A pawn? “I want to talk to one of my humans. Just for a few minutes.”

“Let me guess…” She sighs and the words are a bit too dramatic for her to be serious. “Eight minutes?”

You grin impishly at her. “Something like that.”

“Really though, who is it you’re wishing to talk to and why? I don’t want you causing any more trouble.”

“No, I just want to meet her in person,” you insist. “She’s… like my…”

“Oh,” she says, eyes flashing. “I understand; this human, you want to talk to your pupil. Actually… would you be objected to another joining you in your endeavor? I have a lovely human named Minerva who really is brilliant that I would enjoy meeting in person, you see.”

Some days you really love Rose Lalonde.

When you try to drag her from the house, though, John stops you. “Guys? Where are you going?” He asks, pouting slightly.

“Don’t worry! We’ll be right back!” You insist but Rose digs her heels against the ground, stopping you in your tracks.

“Calm down Vriska, it’s only fair that he knows where we are going, it will take more than a while, really.” Rose chides gently, proof, you think, that you two are no longer acquaintances or even enemies but you have formed one of those dangerous, unnamable, connections that have tied you all together in one way or another. John looks a little shocked himself, blinking those big blue eyes owlishly. “John,” she continues with one of those knowing smiles. “I have found a way to travel to the other planet-“

“What? You mean – like – we could live there? Almost like Earth?” He asks so eagerly that you feel another little twinge of pity knowing that he misses his planet more than you miss your own.

“Oh no, John.” She says, frowning slightly with her brow furrowed. “We are still immortal and, honestly, have no place there. Their culture is very different from our own, sure, in some ways it is similar to our kingdoms of the past, but think about it John. Would you want to live in Rome? No video games, no more junk food, but don’t fret, you’ll have unsanitary conditions and plenty violence instead.”

He rolls his eyes. “Okay Rose, I get the idea. Jeez! But I would still like to go! It would be cool!”

“Lets go, lets go!” You insist, pulling on Rose.

“Goodness Vriska, someone’s excited.” She grumbles but allows you to pull her from the room. “You don’t even know where we need to go yet.”

“The library, duuuuuuuuh!”

“That is where you are wrong, we need to go to Aradia’s home.” She replies with a chuckle.

You groan in response but still follow.

You’ve never really been to Aradia’s home, precariously placed on the side of the hill; you’ve passed by with John, confused, at first, by the ruins. Crumbling rocks with green sprouting between them, tall archways wearing down, a series of pillars, and a strange statue of three women. You hadn’t spotted Aradia’s home, tucked against the hill and surrounded by trees.

When you arrive she is waiting, much to your disappointment, with a bright smile on her face, all pink cheeks, dimples, and sharp little teeth. Behind her stands Eridan and Sollux, glaring at each other but, much to your surprise, not going for the other’s throat.

“Lalonde…” You grumble, frowning at her.

“Sollux heard and decided to be a pain about it, same as Eridan, and Aradia had to be told so that I could use her land.” She replies with a shrug. “I don’t think anyone else is aware, though, and I want it to stay that way.”

“Oh!” Aradia squeaks as soon as the words pass from Rose’s mouth. “We weren’t supposed to tell anyone else?”

You groan, pinching the ridge of your nose harshly, and Rose only sighs heavily.

In the end, when Rose opens the gate, all of you step through, all twelve trolls, all four humans, and one sprite, Nanna staying behind to hold down the fort with a sad Jaspers, mewling pitifully. You’re irritated and John can tell, smiling at you sheepishly, as well as Davesprite who continues to tease you and be melodramatic about the whole thing. He’s such a pain in the ass sometimes.

You find yourself in a town, the air quiet and heavy, filled with the scents of fresh bread and the sea, the streets are paved with grey rock and the buildings around you are made of a similar material, painted with reds and blues. It’s much nicer than your city, at least, in most areas, but it could be the same way in Rose’s, she may have just taken you to a more pleasant part of her city. Everyone milling about the streets has frozen to stare at you all, voices suddenly rising, a sea of whispers. This you recognize as Rose’s city and you are immediately frustrated.

“Rose,” you hiss, fingers curling around her forearm, restraint barely strong enough to keep your nails from biting at her skin.

“Hush, I know, I know, I’ll get you to your girl soon enough.” She replies in a hushed voice.

Before you can object a woman comes bursting through the crowd, breath coming fast, cheeks flushed red. She’s not one who should be running, not built for physical exertion, tiny and skinny and porcelain white, this is obviously a woman of intellect, her clothes simple, but most of Rose’s people do wear simple things. Her eyes, a sickly color like the combination of brown and purple, wide as saucers, almost comical on her gaunt face. Rose chuckles softly, pulling from your grasp so she may weave through the others to meet her. This must be her pawn, no, pupil.

“Minerva,” she greets, dipping her head to the human, and the woman is immediately on her knees, head bowed and prayers spilling from her lips, the others following her one by one.

Rose stands there calmly while the rest of you shift about uncomfortably, all of you but yourself, Sollux, Karkat, and Eridan, you think. Eridan, like the pompous fool he is, strides forward with a huff, demanding to know where the closest port is. “Hush,” Rose scolds, batting at his arm in a way that is dangerously close to being a pap. “Be patient, we just got here.”

Minerva looks up at them like a deer caught in headlights while all of the others peek up with equally wide eyes. Suddenly you understand what Rose said even more; these people are in your hands, bending to your will. You are revered here; creatures of stories just like your ancestors, just like the humans’ gods. You suddenly feel wary, a little sick to your stomach, the way you felt when your blood first changed almost.

Your hand finds John’s, fingers twining with his until you get it right. You can feel his eyes on you but you look straight ahead, not wanting to face the questioning look you know he’s giving you. After a moment though he gives your hand a squeeze and that’s that.

Minerva guides you all to the main building in the center of the city, a large structure of white rock, all very simple, which you aren’t surprised to find is full of books just like the one at home, and a group of women, all in the same clothes as Minerva. They greet you like you’re something unreal, little bows and hands clutching at you; eyes wide and mouths open just enough to let out their never-ending murmurs of prayers. It’s freaking you out but when you glance at Karkat he’s holding his head a little higher same as Eridan. Both Daves shy away from the touches, you aren’t surprised to say, and John and Tavros continue to laugh nervously, not exactly pulling away but obviously more uncomfortable with the whole thing.

You are given rooms and exotic foods, it’s all very strange to you but, luckily, most of you are able to take it in stride. Rose giving you a pointed look that means just as much as any words.

You have to keep an eye on all of these idiots while she’s off doing the thing that _you’re_ supposed to be doing. Karkat, of course, is acting like a smug asshole same as Eridan, and even Dave, to some extent. Jade seems uncomfortable, being used as a shield by Davesprite so the humans can’t get too close. Nepeta and Feferi are both excited, their happiness seeming to help assure her this isn’t all that weird. Sollux is calm about it, not abusing his new power but not turning it down, he, next to Feferi, seems to be taking it the best. Feferi you can understand, she’s had this treatment her whole life, Sollux, not so much.

You leave John with Jade and Davesprite, slipping to the side to stand by Sollux. “This is ridiculous,” is the first thing out of his mouth, making your eyes flicker from John up to his face for a moment. He doesn’t look frustrated exactly, something closer to disappointment but yet not that, it’s like he expected this to happen, like it grates on his nerves but he didn’t expect any more out of all of you. You didn’t consider this factor. You didn’t think that the power might go to your heads and, really, you think that if you didn’t have the image of Rose, weak and so very small and broken, in your mind, a constant reminder just as your little Sekhmet’s words, you might be just as bad.

“But,” he says with a wry sort of smile. “I’m a little surprised you aren’t living it up.”

You grunt in response, the beginnings of anger forming in the back of your mind. Stupid Sollux Captor and his stupid expressions. “When is Rose coming back?”

“She said she’d be back later tonight,” he replies with a sigh.

There’s a pause as you both frown at Eridan who is whining about some of the food, fish you think. Such an ass. “So, you two official Matesprits or…” You prod, looking away from Eridan once more.

“No, we were just kissing in the library for the hell of it.”

“Well excuuuuuuuuse me,” you snap back. “How am I supposed to be able to tell with all of your red shenanigans?”

He snorts, all nasally and annoying, giving you that smug smile of his. “Well, you know, it’s hard being so handsome…”

You scoff, punching his arm weakly. He stiffens in response and it occurs to you what you’ve just done but then he’s chuckling some more and he shoulders you gently in return.

You need to stop forming these creepy, complicated, bonds.

You and John share a room. The little human trying to guide you to separate rooms looks shocked when John’s hand finds yours and you follow him into the room assigned to him. She starts to stutter something out and you hear Sollux’s nasally chuckle before John closes the door and somehow you know he’ll explain for you.

John lets out a weary little sigh before slumping against the door. “Oh my god, this is sooo weird…” He mumbles, blue eyes big behind his glasses.

You give him a little smile, moving forward to press a kiss to his lips. “Don’t worry about it John…” You twine your fingers with his, pulling him over to the odd little daybed set up for him.

“Why weren’t you going to tell me?” He mumbles, pout coming to his lips and brow furrowing.

“There’s something I need to do alone…” You tell him, feeling open and raw in an odd sort of way.

“Vriska you know you can tell me anything, don’t you? I mean, I thought that Matespritship-ness was based off of trust or something?”

You snort, tucking yourself against him and stumbling over each other’s feet. “Stop listening to Karkat. He’s an obnoxious tool who doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about.”

John giggles in response, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “What about Davesprite?”

“He can be a tool, too. What did he say?”

John only laughs some more, gently laying you back when your knees hit the side of the daybed. He grows quiet; leaning over you and brushing the hair from your cheeks, blue eyes flickering over your face and your body. Your breath stutters, gulping as you take him in, bathed in the light of the setting sun. He looks older all of a sudden, older and calmer, his jaw defined and his hair thick and where were you when he became so handsome? It suddenly feels possessive how he’s curled over you and you like it, you like that he wants you to be his, you like that you aren’t the only one who wants the other.

“I love you.” He sounds breathless but somehow the words are still strong and a little husky. “I know you don’t know what that means but I still wanted to tell you.”

This isn’t the giggly nerves from when he asked you to be his, no, this is asking you to be his, that wasn’t anything compared to this. He’s right; love is not a concept you are familiar with. But you think you are beginning to understand.

Love is the thing that makes your women stay with a man who hungers so many others, love is the thing that makes Davesprite want so much more for Jade, makes him feel so unworthy, love is the thing that makes you grow jealous when John’s eyes fall on another.

“Sorry,” he gives you a crooked, awkward little smile, eyes searching.

“No, don’t apologize,” you murmur, hand finding his once more. “I’ll try.” There’s a flicker of confusion across his face and you smile. “I’m trying to learn.”

He smiles back, slow and sweet, not the broad one that shows his too-big teeth, it’s something different that only you get to see. He kisses you and you kiss back. You don’t go to sleep until long after the room has grown dark and your minds fuzzy with sleep and happiness.

The next day Rose and Minerva come to you and tell you that they will be opening a gate to John’s kingdom. Minerva, it seems, has used some sort of magic to get a message to the more humane leaders. Menes, Eridan’s king, Sollux’s, Equius’, and Nepeta’s too, you think, as well as others. You aren’t familiar with most of the names; you do recognize Menes, of course, Cyrus, and Triton. You don’t recognize the name Solomon, Themis, or Diana.

So Rose says goodbye to Minerva, surprising you by taking the woman by the hand and smiling before pressing a kiss to her cheek with a bit of a struggle due to her size. It makes Sollux chuckle, earning a sharp look. Minerva smiles back though.

Rose thanks her followers for their help and then you all are slipping into another city, not very different, larger, maybe, and there is the same reaction as before only now the people are clutching at John and he looks absolutely horrified.

“This should be good,” Sollux murmurs, loud enough for both you and Rose to hear and he gets two elbows to the gut.

“Come John,” Rose murmurs, taking him by the arm to gently pull through the parting crowd of dumbstruck people. She glances back at you, raising a brow, and you smile, locking arms with Sollux. She rolls her eyes and he chuckles. The noise no longer makes you want to smack him. This is getting weird but somehow you can’t bring yourself to really care anymore.

There’s a heavy silence that falls over the city, it may be more unnerving than the hum of prayers. The people keep their hands to themselves for the most part, some eyeing you with funny looks and some doing the same with Eridan. It doesn’t take a genius to know why and it, for whatever reason, gives you a little pang of guilt.

You just want to find Sekhmet and get this over with.

John guides you all down the streets and it’s not long until you are standing before a temple, almost as extravagant as your homes, all gold and ivory and marble, and a woman comes rushing out. As soon as she sees you all she slows, brushing back her curls of brown hair and smoothing the folds of her odd dress, the fabric twisted and knotted in odd ways around her waist and chest. She gulps, making her way down the steps to greet you all with her head held high and a wavering smile, one that wants to be like Rose’s, knowing and superior, but doesn’t quite make it.

You narrow your eyes uncomfortable with her resemblance to a woman you only saw a handful of times, all of them being unpleasant.

“My God,” her voice is high and lilting and you have to bite your tongue.

Sollux’s hand squeezes yours and you realize you’re gripping his arm a little too tight and finally withdraw, not meeting his puzzled gaze.

The girl slowly lowers to her knees before him, clasping her hands together and ducking her head. “We are so very pleased to have you grace our simple city with your presence, we are honored to have you here."

Rose looks back at you and you don’t recognize the look on her face but Sollux seems to, ducking his head to whisper in your ear. His breath is hot and the action is odd enough to make you stiffen. “What am I missing here?” He asks.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

You glance to your right to find Nepeta eyeing you curiously, quickly looking away when you catch her. You look back to Sollux and shake your head. Now is definitely not the time. You seem to get this across but you know he’s not going to forget; Rose isn’t either.

The girl, Semele, guides you inside, smiling at John and acting all around like a little girl with her first flush-crush.

You may or may not want to stab her in the throat and drain out all of that pretty red blood of hers.

You’re beginning to notice an unfortunate pattern. Rose is small, curvy, and beautiful. She acts like a “lady”, she’s intelligent and quick witted, and she’s human. Semele is a tiny little thing, a few inches taller than Lalonde but still smaller than you. She’s skinny but her curves are still there under her loose fitting dress. Her skin is a strange olive brown and her eyes a shock of sky blue. She moves with a purpose and it’s obvious she thinks she is more powerful, but as soon as she’s in any of your presence she’s reduced to a tiny girl with no power and no knowledge, a creature not deserving of your gifts, unsure of herself, relying on you all for guidance.

It’s annoying.

John has done better than you expected, though. His people follow him without question, they provide you all with only the best, they respect you. But, like his position of power among his fellow gods, it makes him uncomfortable. When Semele gets down on her knees before him he grows anxious, laughing nervously and quickly telling her she doesn’t need to do that. She thinks that it is a test so she only bows lower.

They give you more than Rose’s people, taking you into a room full of riches and silks and bringing you even more exotic food, you are waited on like royalty, which, you suppose, you’re considered even more powerful than. You are the kingmakers after all. The people wait on all of you but hesitate when they see you, especially when you curl up next to John on the odd little couch, but then they bring you a goblet of wine as well as Eridan and it all is okay. But Rose still notices.

Your people are not only offered riches and food but, at least in the boys’ case, women. John turns a brilliant gold as soon as they enter the room, all dressed in too little that make up for it by shining too much. You regret leaving his side, but you’re sure it will be fine.

That’s a lie. You feel the flare of jealousy, hot and sharp, and you know this won’t turn out well unless you can keep yourself under control.

Their movements are smooth and enticing but it doesn’t have the desired effect on any of the boys but Sollux it seems. It’s actually comical and you find yourself biting back laughs, not insults. Equius starts to sweat, eyes flickering to Aradia for help but she remains where she is, sitting at the table with Terezi, watching with an amused little smile. Tavros blushes and stumbles over his words as one of the girls slips behind him to rub his shoulders. Karkat just freezes, eyes as big as saucers and golden blush flooding his cheeks. Davesprite slips backwards so he can practically hide behind you and Jade, becoming his shield once more, both of you roll your eyes. But you’re happy he did and you know she is too, you don’t want those girls all over your Moirail. Eridan tries to turn his nose up at the long-legged woman trying to sit on the arm of his chair and fails miserably. Gamzee is sitting between Aradia and Nepeta at the table, officially safe from any of the women. And Sollux, well, Sollux lets out one of his nasally laughs that make you scowl and pulls a girl into his lap.

His fun is quickly over though.

“Mr. Captor, if you want to return with us to our kingdom, and remain capable of sight, you will remove that girl from your lap immediately.” Rose snaps from her seat at the table to your right.

Sollux turns his head to pout at her but she does not give in. He sighs heavily, releasing the girl so she may stand. She looks a little alarmed herself and you don’t blame her, Rose isn’t someone you’d want to cross. When Sollux pulls his hand back to smack the girl’s backside Rose is ready and flicks an olive at him, hitting him in the back of the head.

You howl with laughter, absolutely delighted with your fellow goddess of light, and Terezi is quick to join in with her own cackles.

The women don’t seem to know what to think about this, especially little Semele still standing in the corner, uncertainty written all over her face.

“Semele, darling, as much as we appreciate the gesture I think it would be best if your dancers left.” Rose tells her and she doesn’t have to say it twice.

John is given a more extravagant room this time, a bed with more space so that you both can curl up more comfortably together, silky curtains and warm blankets. When you wake up in the morning to his soft breathing, the morning light slipping through the curtains you forgot to close properly and dancing across his pale skin, you’re afraid that moving will ruin something; that getting up will destroy the moment. But he soon stirs, blue eyes blinking at you groggily, and he smiles at you, that beautiful, simple, little smile that is for you and only you. It makes your insides warm and your heart flutter.

You wonder if this is love.

When you get breakfast, not bothering to change out of your simple pajamas, Rose is there to pull you to the side.

Her tiny fingers curl tightly around your wrist, dragging you to the side. You let her, knowing that this was coming. “This is why you started the war?” She hisses once you’re in a dark little corner of the hall. “Jealous of a human? Vriska-“

“He watched her _bathe_.” You snap back, cheeks cool with embarrassment. You feel sick telling her this, like it is yet another show of your weakness. But for once you feel like letting her go on thinking something about you would be bad. You feel like you need to explain to her why.

She stops, frowning at you slightly, but then her grip loosens so she may slip her hand into yours instead. “I’m sorry. I understand why that could be… frustrating…” She murmurs and your mind flickers back to the other day when Sollux had that girl in his lap. “But it is still an…” She flinches slightly. “Bad word choice,” she murmurs before beginning again. “It is still not a good way to handle the situation. You could have gone about it differently.”

“I know,” you reply, looking away.

“It is how your culture is, I understand, but we need to start going about things with a bit more thought and patience, more finesse.” She continues, hand squeezing your own. “You are not the only one who needs to learn, I do as well as many of the others… most of the others.”

You smile a little but your mind is already moving on to other things.

“Do you love him?”

“Who?” She asks, pulling back. “Sollux?”

“Yeah,” you reply and watch how her cheeks flush in the dark. You grin. “Is that a yes?”

“Goodness, Vriska,” she huffs before leaving you in the hallway.

You only laugh.

They arrive the next day in a carriage pulled by two black horses, followed by what could only be described as a small army. You could hear it, the thud of feet and the clank of metal, for a good while before they actually arrived. The carriage is made of wood that has been dyed a dark blue that reminds you of your old ship. The men in line behind it are all clad in armor from this kingdom that has been decorated with even more blue. And when Menes steps out of his carriage you are struck that he may be even more handsome in person. He steps down but instead of coming up the stairs where you wait he turns, taking a delicate grey hand in his own, one that you recognize.

Once again you have succeeded with one of your creations, the only question left to ask is if she, too, will cause you pain. She looks like she did the first time you saw her, discolored skin painted slate grey, blue eyes as striking as your own, tall frame laden with jewels and silky fabric. You bear the same symbol, her wearing a sapphire in its shape and you wearing one of the many white dresses provided to you with it stitched into the breast. You are one and the same, two girls who have done what it takes to stay alive, liars, manipulators, thieves.

Your fellow gods hang back, allowing you to sweep forward and start down the stairs. She stares up at you for a moment but she doesn’t stay frozen for long. She’s soon climbing up the stairs to meet you halfway with Menes lagging behind a bit, smiling calmly. She tries to bow before you but you grab her hand, holding her up. She looks puzzled, maybe even a little shocked, especially when you smile.

“My Goddess, it is an honor to meet you in the flesh.” She says but still has this wide-eyed look of shock on her face. She hesitantly twines her fingers with your own and continues to blink owlishly down at you.

“Sekhmet,” you reply. “I have been wanting to meet you since I first saw you.”

Your flattering doesn’t help. She obviously doesn’t have a clue how to respond.

You laugh at her expression, as does Menes. “Don’t look so surprised! You’re my chosen one remember? You’re stronger and better than some of the other gods I have to put up with!”

She blinks owlishly but returns your smile now. You turn to Menes and he bows to you a bit, jokingly. “Vriska,” he greets, grinning, and you laugh, pulling him into a hug. You can feel the others eyeing you but you ignore it. You snatch up Sekhmet’s hand once more and drag her up the steps refusing to release her.

Rose does not look surprised by your connection but John continues to eye the tall man warily, he is a bit opposing, you suppose. You introduce them quickly and this time they both bow, not jokingly but seriously, puzzling you, but you do not object.

Semele is wary of them and they are wary in turn but they are still invited in and served. Menes is as fantastic in person as you thought he would be. He’s charming and funny and, although he remains respectful, he is not as meek around your friends as everyone else has been. He does ask to talk to you in private, eventually, and you comply.

You speak of different political and military issues that he must solve and you joke about Semele and some of the others but soon the real subject that is worrying him comes about. “She is of the age she must be married,” he sighs, pinching the ridge of his nose. “Cyrus has an heir about her age but-“

“’About her age’?” You repeat, narrowing your eyes.

“The boy is twenty,” he explains.

“No.”

“Then who do you suggest?” He looks tired and for the first time you really notice the grey in his hair, the crease between his brow, the bags under his eyes. Menes is aging and you are frozen here in time.

“Let me talk to her,” you reply, the image of her in her youth, her little voice saying that word that convinced you to come here, stuck in your mind’s eye.

He sighs but nods.

Back in the main room she is laughing along with Jade about something Davesprite said you think but when she spots that you have returned you are the center of her attention once more, giving you a sweet little smile, one that you remember from her youth. You motion for her to follow and she complies instantly.

“Yes?” She asks brightly as she trots behind you down the hall.

“I just want to talk to you.”

“Are you… are you angry, Goddess?” She asks hesitantly and you quickly shake your head.

“No, I just…” There’s a sick feeling in your stomach and you can’t get rid of it. It’s not exactly guilt but it’s close enough. “Menes says you’re to be married soon.” You say, turning on her.

She smiles at you but she cannot take back the little twist that came to her mouth only a second before. “Yes, to Cyrus’ son possibly, or maybe even Themis’ or Solomon’s. If I married Nemesis or Ometeo it would probably be for the best, since our ties with Cyrus’ kingdom are already so good.” You frown at her and she blinks, biting the inside of her cheek. “Am I incorrect in that assumption, Goddess?”

“You shouldn’t marry either,” you say slowly and she nods quickly in response, eager to please. “You should marry someone you love, Sekhmet.”

Her brow furrows ever so slightly. “Someone I love…”

“Yes.” You insist, trying not to frown yourself.

“But… Goddess, what if who I love is not royal?” She asks, peeking up at you warily.

“It doesn’t matter, marry him, marry whoever makes you happy and will treat you right.”

The thought of a man who will not appreciate her, who will not dote on her the way she deserves, a man who would take her as well as many others, makes you sick.

She smiles at you, a sweet, content, little smile. “Thank you, mother.” You cannot explain why her words make you calm. But then her eyes flicker from you to a place somewhere behind you, smile fading ever so slightly. “Oh…”

You turn to find John standing there, staring at you, and you immediately flush. “John, is there something you need?” You ask, voice a little to high and cheeks golden enough to shine in the dim light, you’re sure.

He smiles at you, that smile that he saves just for you, and ducks his head. “Sorry, I was just heading to the other room, I didn’t mean to listen in.” His eyes flicker up to meet your own once more and his lips curl into a more mischievous sort of smile. “But… I do hope Vriska is speaking from experience…” It’s almost a question, the little twinge of hope in his voice not missed.

“That’s safe to say,” you reply and that smile turns into something bright and excited.

“Good,” he says with a nervous little laugh, hurrying on, but he stops by your side, pulling you in for a kiss that makes Sekhmet gasp. You smile against his lips, returning the kiss. He pulls back with another nervous giggle. “Love you,” he whispers but you’re sure she can still hear.

“I love you too,” you reply softly, feeling giddy like a child when the foreign words pass through your lips.

He grins at you and finally leaves, glancing back before he turns the corner to give you another toothy grin.

Sekhmet smiles at you; filled with her childish glee once more. You roll your eyes, looking away but she can still see your flushed cheeks. “Thank you, Goddess… I can only hope we are as sweet of a couple as you.”

“Oh good grief…” You sigh trying to hide your face in your hands.

She giggles turning to leave herself. “I hope you will have many beautiful children!” She adds making you sputter before turning the corner too.

You take a moment to collect yourself, taking a deep breath and willing away your blush, before heading after the two of them. You walk in just in time to hear “I want to be the best man John! It is my right as a sister!” and to find Jade glaring at John, who, the spiteful part of you is happy to find, is blushing, with her hands on her hips and her lips stuck in a pout.

Davesprite glances over at you with a smirk, giving you a thumbs-up that makes you blush harder. “Don’t expect me to be your maid of honor or something. Jade’s just a little cuckoo for cocoa puffs if you know what I mean.”

“Dave, I literally do not know what that is.” You huff.

He smiles. “Good. Can’t have you going cuckoo, too.”

“I know what that is! The maiden of honor thing!”

“You, Miss Egbert, have a lot to learn before your wedding.”

“Davesprite!” John whines, face flushing darker.

Jade giggles and bounds over to lock arms with you, smiling brightly. “We’re just messing with you, don’t worry about it.”

John and Dave continue to bicker over pointless things and you can’t help but feel all warm and stupid over it. You lean a little closer to Jade, enjoying her warmth, both from her red blood and from the bright smile she gives you. You’ve formed an odd bond with her as you have with everyone else, something that you think you can name now, but that’s not the point, the point is you don’t care about it anymore.

When night finally falls and you all have had enough rich food to quiet your hunger, a dinner filled with laughs and smiles and more embarrassment, and are now tired, you take John by the hand, heading for his room once more. He smiles, twining his fingers with your own and pulling them up to press a kiss to your grey skin. You bump into his side, resting your head on his shoulder as you walk. “I was very wrong about you.” You murmur and he laughs a little, meeting you halfway in a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No. No I did not go overboard with fluff. What are you talking about?


End file.
